i am here!
by HikarixYamixYaoi
Summary: What do you do when you're considered 'invisible' to the world around you? For Kuroko Tetsumi, she's been the invisible girl her whole life. She has online friends but no real life ones-Until Kagami Taiga starts to notice her, who reminds her of 'Tiger Light' online. Determined to step out of the shadow, she easily befriends him and starts to change her life. KagamixFem!Kuroko
1. Diary 1 - A Shadow Among The Light

**A/N:** Hey, all! This is a KagaKuro multi-chapter entry for a contest going on at Wattpad. If you're able to, please go vote for this! (Links are on my profile page)

Thank you for your support! This will be seven chapters long and I should have it all posted by the time the voting period ends for the contest (May 27 or later). This is inspired by and loosely based off the manga i am here! by Ema Toyama. It has genderbend Kuroko as the main character in an AU-setting.

* * *

 _I've been waiting for so long..._

Under the sunny day of the hot summer month, there was a little girl who stuck out on her own, yet was always overlooked.

"Are you ready?"

"Not yet!"

A little girl dressed all in light blue crouched beneath the large shade tree. Staying there in the shadows for the best hiding spot.

"Are you ready now?"

The sound of running footsteps had the small girl ducking her head and placing a hand over her mouth as if to hold in the sound of her breathing.

"Found you, Taka-chan!"

"Aww!"

The continued sound of children laughing and playing around her had the little girl in blue anxious and wondering when she may be found.

 _In my world of darkness..._

"Found you!"

The little girl looked toward the light and smiled at the person who found her.

 _For someone to find me..._

* * *

 **Diary 1 - A Shadow Among The Light**

"Hey, did you watch the ending of KnB?"

"Yeah! It's all anyone can talk about!"

Gossiping teenagers stood around a desk as a group of friends discussed their favorite series. It was a mundane Monday morning for Seirin High School, and the sunlight peeked through the blinds of the classroom.

Kuroko Tetsumi walked into her classroom. She was a freshman at her new high school, and although they were into half of the school year, no one ever seemed to really notice her.

That's how it always was, everywhere she went. It was like she was _invisible,_ a ghost even.

She had long light blue hair and equally light blue eyes - something that should stick out, but didn't. She was of average height for a Japanese highschooler, and was very pale on top of that. The rest of her bodice was extremely average, but that was okay to her.

She knew herself well, having to spend time alone a lot... She learned to love herself, even her flaws. A person who didn't love their self could never be truly happy anyway...

"Um, excuse me?" Her voice was soft, monotone sounding. It just never seemed to reach anyone's ears so she was left ignored a lot of the time.

Kuroko sighed. It wouldn't be so bad if the group of girls weren't crowding around her desk...

"Could you please move?" Kuroko spoke louder, lightly tapping one of the girl's shoulders.

It was an instant reaction when they all noticed her. They shrieked like she was some ghost ready to take their souls away - wait, that might be a reaper then.

"Wh-When did you get there, Kok-Kokoro-chan?" The girl's wide brown eyes stared back at her with fright.

This made Kuroko sigh softly to herself. When they did talk to her, they always got her name wrong... "I was here the whole time. I sit here, could you please move?" she asked politely.

"What?!"

"For real?"

"Kokoro-chan sits here? Ah, sorry!"

Kuroko didn't even try to bother correcting them on her name, they never remembered it. Once they moved, she sat down at her desk. It wasn't long before the group of girls completely forgot about her, moving on to the topic of the new shoujo manga they all followed.

Kuroko, whether she liked it or not, was an expert at not standing out. It led to unfortunate events such as not getting noticed by waiters at restaurants, or being left behind on school trips back in middle school and elementary.

When high school started, she wanted to turn over a new leaf and start standing out more to at least make one real life friend.

But then on the first day, she noticed a small husky puppy crossing the road and noticed that it was only half-way across when the signal changed.

" _Wait!_ " She had shouted, running out to the puppy as a car came. " _This puppy is crossing!_ " She stopped in front of the puppy, waving her arms and looking frantic. She had breathed a sigh of relief when the car stopped in time, but that quickly changed when a biker hit her.

The biker said he had only seen the dog (and avoided him thankfully), but because of that accident, Kuroko had to spend two months in the hospital.

She remembered watching the cherry blossoms bloom from her hospital window as she healed and always wondered how her classmates would be like.

By the time she was able to return to school, everyone had formed their own cliques and only gave her a glance when the teacher introduced her. After that, she wasn't noticeable anymore. It wasn't like they deliberately did it, so she wasn't mad or upset.

She knew who she was, and that was a person that stayed in the shadows.

 _I sit here almost everyday, alone and to myself as I stare at the thin light escaping through the blinds on the window._ Kuroko got out her books needed for class and situated them just right.

It's not like she liked being alone, it was just something she grew accustomed to. She was a shadow to the light of everyday society. She stayed in her dark, unattainable world and looked at the brighter world from the outside. She wished she could join them, but she also feared rejection.

A tiny part of her wanted to be noticed by them, by anyone really. Just to have a friend.

But... she did have those... _online._

The light bluenette smiled slightly when she pulled out her phone to use the school's wifi. Kuroko Tetsumi ran a blog online called "The Shadow's Blog." She wasn't really creative with it so she stuck to a penname of just _Shadow_. She started it up years ago when she received her very own phone. She really liked taking pictures of all sorts of things that interested her, so she made the blog to post them.

Later, it became sort of like a diary to her. Even when no one came on or even viewed it, she still wrote what she was feeling on there. She would talk about the photos she posted, and after a while, she felt like no one would come on to say something...

But that's when Tiger Light came on and brightened her day with a simple message. It let her know that someone out there noticed her, liked her enough to leave a comment.

Tiger Light was the first person to join her blog, and he always posted a comment on whatever she blogged. It was so nice to talk to someone, that it thrilled her to see a message.

Now, there were others on her blog. The other two main ones were Lucky Rabbit and Cute Copycat. Every now and then others would pop up, and she was familiar with three others when they did decide to leave a comment.

She turned off her phone when there was an uproar in the class, and just then the two most popular boys of their year came in.

Kagami Taiga and Kise Ryouta. Both were aces of their school basketball team and led Seirin High to victory time and time again. They were practically superstars of the school and well-liked among their classmates.

"Oh wow, Kise-kun you're looking so stunning today!" A cheerful girl said in wonder, and the blond flashed her his trademark smile that seemed to make all of his fangirls swoon.

Kise was actually a part-time model on top of being a basketball player. He had nice shiny blond hair that girls both admired and envied, as well as smooth ivory skin. His face was handsome, that was a given, and his eyes were like honey... Or that's how the girls described them. Both athletes were amazingly fit for their age - Kagami even more so.

"Kagami-kun, have you been practicing hard?" One of the girl's surrounding Kagami asked, most of them starstruck around the tall power forward.

"Eh, yeah I have." Kagami got out, he always got slightly nervous when around a bunch of fans. Kuroko noticed little quirks like how he rubbed the back of his head as a nervous gesture.

Kagami was actually half-Japanese, half-American. His skin was slightly tan and he had two-toned dark red hair that was short and spiky. His eyes were red too, which Kuroko found complimented him. He had strange forked eyebrows but she learned that you got used to seeing them after some time.

Kuroko continued watching them silently, most of the class drawn to the two and talking to them. She would like to join them, but...

Suddenly, she realized she was looking into a pair of red eyes and noticed Kagami had looked at her dead-on. Startled, she looked away and felt her heart race. _He looked at me...?_

She looked down at her notes, feeling a sense of fear at looking up again.

That was the first time she caught his stare.

It was nerve-wracking, new, _exciting._

When she chanced a look back up again, she caught the teacher coming in and everyone had to take their seats. Kuroko sighed quietly to herself when she only saw the back of the popular boy's head - who sat in front of her.

. * .

The day continued on like normal until Kuroko got some time to blog a bit on her phone. 

_So this morning one of the popular boy's in my class stared right at me. It was kind of terrifying because I wasn't sure what to do... **-Shadow**_

She could always talk about anything on her blog, and almost right away she would receive a response from someone.

Like, right now.

 _Why were you so terrified by a stare? Was he really staring at you or past you? **-Lucky Rabbit**_

 _Don't be so scared Shadow, it's good that he noticed you at least! :) **-Tiger Light**_

Kuroko couldn't help but smile softly at her two responders, and especially to Tiger's response. He always seemed to be the one to uplift her the most. Rabbit could be harsh, but honest, with his words...

 _Thanks, Tiger-kun. And yes, I had been observing the students as usual when our eyes locked with each other and I realized he was staring right at me. **-Shadow**_

The light bluenette watched students right now as they walked by, talking and eating snacks on their break. She sipped at the apple juice pouch and waited for a reply. She was sitting to herself as usual, not being noticed on the white picnic table.

 _Did you wave or smile at him, Shadow-chan? **-Cute Copycat**_

Ah, that was another regular commenter. Copycat was also pretty nice, sometimes too nice. He regularly gave her encouragement and really wanted her to make a friend outside the blog.

 _No, I looked away. :( **-Shadow**_

 _What?! But Shadow-chan that could have been your chance on getting noticed! **-Cute Copycat**_

 _I agree, you should have taken the chance. **-Lucky Rabbit**_

 _I'm sorry, I panicked. That's never happened before. **-Shadow**_

She hung her head then. Kuroko had been too nervous when the stare had happened...

 _You guys should lay off her. It's already happened, she can't change that. Stop making her feel bad. It's okay Shadow, just try smiling or waving at him next time if he or someone stares, okay? You got this, I believe in you. **-Tiger Light**_

Kuroko's heart beat faster at that and she couldn't help but hug her phone to her chest.

"Thank you Tiger-kun." She whispered softly, smiling and feeling cared for. Tiger always had a habit of defending her, even when he _thought_ she was being hurt and didn't necessarily say it out loud. They were just internet friends, but they had such a strong bond...

 _Okay, okay! Jeez, I'm sorry Shadow-chan. (人) I didn't mean to make you feel bad... Gosh, Tiger is like an over-protective kitten! xP How cute! **-Cute Copycat**_

 _It was not my intention to make Shadow feel bad, in fact I was just trying to help... **-Lucky Rabbit**_

 _Who are you calling cute 'Cute Copycat'? And I'm not an over-protective kitten! **-Tiger Light**_

 _You certainly behave as such sometimes. **-Lucky Rabbit**_

 _Stay out of this, Rabbit! **-Lucky Tiger**_

 _Hey, I know I'm cute! ;) Just face the facts Tiger, you're a tiny tabby in disguise! **-Cute Copycat**_

Kuroko laughed to herself as she kept refreshing to see their banter. She could always picture them in a pin together - a sophisticated-looking rabbit, a cute cat, and then a gentle tiger cub. The cute image of them playfully fighting was enough to melt her inside. Kuroko had a soft spot for cute things.

"Uh, excuse me..."

A sudden gruff voice caused the light bluenette highschooler to look up and she instantly froze. Her breath caught in her throat and the wind suddenly blew against her back, long strands of light blue tangling around her.

It was the popular boy from before, Kagami Taiga. He was right there standing beside the picnic table, his attention directed at her even though he was somewhat looking away. A hand was rubbing the back of his head and there was a blush decorating his cheeks.

Why was he blushing? Could he be... _embarrassed_ to be talking to Kuroko? But why would that be, no one noticed her...

"You're, um, Kuroko Tetsumi right?" he asked her, his red eyes still not looking at her and Kuroko found that odd.

"Yes I am." She answered him softly. How did he notice her in the first place?

"I was told to come get you from our homeroom teacher, she wants to talk to us or something like that..." He continued scratching the back of his head but then his eyes met hers that was staring straight at him.

"Okay, Kagami-kun." She responded, rising up and placing her phone in her sweater pocket. She always got cold easy, even if Spring was closing out.

The dark redhead was jostled a bit and looked at her, astounded by something. "You know my name?"

Kuroko blinked her eyes at him and tilted her head slightly. "Of course I do, everyone in Seirin knows who you are. The ace of our basketball team, Kagami Taiga." Honestly, there probably isn't a student at their small school that doesn't know who he is. Did he really not know that?

His eyes widened in realization at that, and he turned away. "W-Well we should go on to homeroom then."

Huh, the guy was acting really weird than what she always saw of him in class. And were the tops of his ears really red too?

Kuroko couldn't help but smile softly to herself and follow after the taller boy.

* * *

They reached their classroom together, Kagami having to look over his shoulder a few times just to make sure the pale girl was following him. Kuroko was just too quiet...

"I got her for you," Kagami told the teacher once the two walked into the empty classroom.

The older teacher turned to look around Kagami some until she finally spotted Kuroko and smiled. "Oh, yes. Thank you so much, Kagami-kun."

"What did you need me for, Nakamita-sensei?" Kuroko asked politely, walking to stand beside Kagami.

"I actually need you both for something!" The orange-haired teacher smiled, clapping her hands together once. "You see, we all know Kagami-kun here is a big-shot at basketball."

The tall athlete twitched slightly at that, but the teacher just continued.

"But, well, his grades are not good. And the principal told me that if Kagami-kun's grades doesn't improve then he unfortunately won't be able to play in the upcoming tournament." Nakamita looked apologetic, and Kuroko could tell it was sincere.

"What?! But, but-"

"Ah-ah, no 'buts' Kagami-kun." The teacher told him with a pointed finger and he shut up with a groan. The teacher turned green eyes to the smaller girl now. "The best thing I can do is assign a tutor to help Kagami-kun improve his grades by the next exam week before the tournament begins. If you pass all of your tests, then you can play. If not, then you're out." She sighed, "Which is why I would like Kuroko-chan here to tutor Kagami-kun."

"W-What?" Kagami gasped, surprised, and Kuroko found herself surprised too.

"But, Nakamita-sensei, surely there's someone more suited to the job. My grades are only average at best." Kuroko mentioned, and the teacher smiled sweetly.

"I chose you because you have a strong drive to study. I figured it would help the both of you to raise your grades together. So how 'bout it?"

Kuroko and Kagami looked at each other, and Kagami blushed slightly, scratching his head again. "Uh, I don't mind."

The light bluenette shrugged her small shoulders. "I do not mind either."

"Great! Then it's settled, from here on out Kagami-kun, spend your breaks and any off-time with Kuroko-chan. Don't worry about basketball practice, your Coach will understand." Nakamita winked, but it was lost on the two. Their homeroom teacher had always acted like that.

The two walked out of the room together after that, quiet.

"Um, so..." Kagami started at the same time Kuroko did with, "Kagami-kun."

They instantly looked at each other and stopped, awkwardness hung heavy in the air between them.

"You first," Kagami told her, not able to look at the blue girl.

Kuroko looked down at her shoes. "I was just going to say that we should set up a schedule, for tutoring."

Kagami nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good..."

Kuroko peeked up at him and asked, "Would you like to start tomorrow? On first break in the library?"

"Uh, y-yeah..." Kagami rubbed his head some more before looking at her. "Listen, I can understand if you don't want to help me... It wasn't fair to you to get roped up into this."

Kuroko blinked, confused. "That sounds stupid." Ignoring Kagami's outburst at that, she continued. "Of course I would want to help Kagami-kun. Playing basketball is important to you, right?"

He stopped at that, and looked at her with wide eyes.

She smiled softly, "I always see you practice in your spare time, even on the street court close to Maji's... I can always count on hearing the sound of the basketball thumping against the court as I walk back home after errands. Kagami-kun isn't afraid to show his love for the sport he plays, and that's admirable."

Red eyes glistened as he watched the girl offer a raised fist to him, causing him to blink in utter confusion and wonder.

"So then, let's both do our best so you can continue to play the game you love."

Kagami gazed at her some more before grinning brilliantly. "Wow, Kuroko you're really amazing!" And then he bumped his fist lightly with hers.

Kuroko felt a tremble go through her from the act, the words, his smile. It was a beginning, and she fervently hoped she could help Kagami.

 **. * .**

 **A/N:** Please let me know what you think! And please go vote for this in the Multi-Chapter Entries and Cover Entries if you can! =D


	2. Diary 2 - You Noticed Me

**Diary 2 - You Noticed Me**

 _You know the popular guy I mentioned? Well now I have to tutor him! **-Shadow**_

Kuroko had instantly started blogging after that event. It was now after school and she was busying with her usual routine.

One she kept secret from everyone.

 _Waaaah?! No way! **-Cute Copycat**_

 _You were noticed enough to be asked for such a task? **-Lucky Rabbit**_

 _Yes! I was shocked too, he came right up to me but he was um, blushing? Maybe he was embarrassed to be talking with me... **-Shadow**_

Kuroko brought the bowl over to the outside hose they used for gardening. She filled the small drinking bowl up to the brim and rolled the bag of food and toys up to her elbow as she waited.

 _I doubt that. He would be an idiot if he was. **-Tiger Light**_

She smiled and put her phone away as she finished up with the water. The light bluenette carefully carried the small bowl to her destination - which was past the track field where the old storage building was that the football and track teams use to use before they built a new one.

"Nigou!" she called out, and heard a happy yelp sound inside the building before a furry black-and-white head popped out from the cracked door.

Kuroko smiled when the husky puppy came bounding out to happily greet her with bright blue eyes and wagging curly tail. It was the same puppy she had saved at the start of the school year. After she had left the hospital, it was almost like the pup had been waiting for her.

Before, animals had treated her in the same way people did. But not this one, the little look-alike was different and his cute face always warmed her heart. He followed her around constantly, but she wasn't able to take care of him at home so she made a place for him here...

She knew it wasn't right to go against school rules like this, but she couldn't just abandon the little guy...

A happy bark brought her back to reality and she smiled at her pet. "Here you are, Nigou." She gave him fresh water, and he happily lapped it up. She scratched behind his ears as he did and his tail remained wagging.

It was so cute.

"I managed to save up enough to get those chew toys you like." Kuroko continued talking with her animal friend as she took out the bone and multiple chew toys. She didn't get the ones that made noise, since she was always afraid of someone finding the little guy and taking him away...

She started giving the pudgy pup a bowl of food to tide him over until the next morning when she would be able to feed him again - Kuroko always managed to get to school early so she could see the puppy before classes started.

Seeing him always brightened her day.

She would keep him at home, but...

 _Home? Can it even be called that anymore?_ Kuroko couldn't keep those thoughts away, and they distracted her from playing with Nigou.

"Kuroko?" Came a sudden hesitant, familiar voice and Kuroko's light blue eyes widened.

She swiftly turned around just as Nigou started barking. It was Kagami, he was here and now he was looking confused and... scared?

He suddenly let out a _very_ undignified scream when the puppy happily bounded for him. Kuroko stared in surprise at the tall brute running around as he clearly did not want the pup anywhere near him.

Kuroko finally snapped out of her senses (although the image of cute little Nigou chasing Kagami around was just too cute to stop watching) and called for Nigou to come to her. Thankfully, the puppy listened to her and Kagami was allowed to stop running.

The dark redhead breathed heavily and gasped for air as he looked like he had just been chased by death itself.

"Kagami-kun? What are you doing here?" Kuroko finally asked him, keeping Nigou by her ankles.

Kagami seemed to snap out of his mental terror then and he looked at her. "Oh, I uh saw you out here and was just... wondering what you were up to." He shrugged, feeling awkward.

Kuroko blinked, her whole body stilling. "You... saw me?" She worded it slowly, as if trying to make her brain believe it.

"Yeah, although I had to look a few times but I saw your hair," Here he scratched the back of his head, "And no one really has the same hair color as you, so..."

Kuroko remained frozen, shocked. She guessed it was plausible, it's just she's never had someone focus so intently on her just to _see_ her.

Kagami looked down at Nigou now. "Is that your puppy? What are you doing bringing him to school?"

"Ah..." Kuroko stopped at this. _Kagami-kun knows now... Will he tell on me?_ She really didn't want to think about what would happen if she got expelled. "I, um, keep him here." She decided to just be honest and up-front about it. She started petting Nigou's back as a way to reassure herself.

Kagami was confused. "Isn't that against the rules?"

Kuroko gazed down at the partially dead grass. "Yes it is."

"Oh." Kagami responded, but then didn't say anything for a while so Kuroko looked back up to meet his eyes.

"Are you going to tell the principal now?" Her voice sounded so small to her, and it was exactly how she felt. She didn't know how to stand her ground, even for Nigou, who she knew would be back on the streets with no one to look after him if she was truly found out...

"Why would I do that?" Kagami sounded confused again as he regarded her.

"Because... it's against the rules?" Now Kuroko was confused.

Kagami blinked, but then just shrugged. "You're just trying to take care of him, right? What's the harm in that?"

Kuroko was astounded by Kagami's... blatant honesty and kindness. Even his innocence, it was... remarkable. She had known of his personality before, but there seemed to be so much more to him.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun." And she smiled, she couldn't help it. Everything would be all right.

Kagami's eyes widened and he honestly seemed shocked for a few seconds before he broke out into a cheeky grin. "No problem."

Suddenly, someone shouted for Kagami and they both looked to see a familiar blond in the distance.

"Kagamicchi! What are you doing way over there? C'mon, Coach wants us!" Kise shouted, waving his arm.

"Okay!" he shouted back, but turned back to Kuroko, who had hid Nigou from view just in case.

"Uh, see you tomorrow?" He scratched at his cheek.

Kuroko nodded, offering a small smile. "Yes, see you tomorrow."

She watched him grin and go to meet his friend. Even from here she could hear the loud blond.

"What were you doing all by yourself?"

Good, he didn't see her or Nigou. She brought the pup back out from behind her and started petting him.

The smile stayed on her face, and she pressed her warm face into Nigou's black fur.

. * . * .

Kuroko returned home after a while of taking care of Nigou and using the library to complete homework assignments.

She always grew wary when returning home, something that had just started growing on her in the past few years. She lived with her parents and had no siblings.

When she was a child, her parents were loving and it was a loving household. Somehow... along the way of her growing up, that changed. Her parents started becoming distant with each other. She wasn't sure if it was stress from their respective jobs, or something else, but it happened.

It was a gradual thing too. At first, they would act normal when she came around them, and all seemed good. She believed her parents could work whatever mishap happened between them. She's seen them in love, and their love was a beautiful thing. Both of her parents shared their love story with her when she was able to understand it, and it was one she absolutely cherished.

She cherished her parent's love for each other, she didn't want it to ever fade.

But it did.

"I'm home." Kuroko responded in a small voice as she walked in, taking her shoes off.

There was no response. Only loud clanging of pots in the kitchen from where she summarized her mom being at. Her father wouldn't be home for another hour.

She hesitantly walked into the kitchen, her whole form feeling cold despite the warm air in the house.

"Mom?" Kuroko called out softly, not able to muster up enough courage to be louder.

Her mom was beautiful. Kuroko definitely inherited her mother's looks; long light blue hair that was straight and soft-looking, large light blue eyes, and pale skin. Kuroko was always told she looked more like her father in the face, but her mother did seem to have a lack of presence - just not to a degree as Kuroko's.

Her mother had a sunny personality in that it was bright and inviting, _warm._ She liked to wear dresses around the house and used to always dress Kuroko up to match her for random picture taking.

Her mother was eccentric, and she could always count on her for a smile.

But there were no smiles, there was no warmth.

"Mom?" Kuroko called out pitifully again, walking over to lightly tap her shoulder.

The light blue-haired woman instantly turned around in shock before those stunning eyes focused on Kuroko. "Tetsumi! Don't sneak up on me like that, you know I don't like that!" she spoke in a shocked and aggravated tone, and Kuroko immediately retracted her hand like it was burned.

"I'm sorry... I just got home." She told her, looking away to hide her hurt. Her mother had always called her 'Tetsumi-chan' and always laughed it off when Kuroko managed to surprise her.

Everything was just so cold now, and Kuroko couldn't hide the shiver.

Her mother sighed and turned back to the dinner she was cooking up. "Just set the table and you can go to your room."

"Okay." Kuroko murmured quietly and set her bag down on a chair and started washing her hands.

She always came in and did what she was told. In this house that was not a home, she didn't know how to interact and be happy with her parents.

It felt like her throat would clench over a knot stuck in it and it became painful to breathe. She spent most of her time in her room, although she still made a habit of going down to greet her father when he came in. She always helped him in any way she could, whether it be fixing his favorite drink or helping with his coat and any bags he was carrying.

She just wanted to feel like her family really wasn't breaking apart at the seams. She wasn't sure what caused it, as the distance grew to ignoring and then ignoring turned into fighting.

Lately, they always seemed to fight.

When that happened, Kuroko tried her best to tune it out with music and her blog.

She wished she was strong enough to stop it, but she was scared and couldn't handle conflict... It was why she remained in the shadows.

. * . * .

Kuroko had spent the night blogging and posting pictures of Nigou. Copycat always seemed to be the only one interested in commenting on those, but occasionally Tiger would say something. She learned that Tiger didn't really like dogs all that much, though she never pried to ask why.

Library break seemed to come too fast, and Kuroko could feel her heart pound as she ventured into the familiar school library. All morning she wanted to tap Kagami on the shoulder since he sat just in front of her, but she would always chicken out at the last second.

Finally, though, she knew she would have to face him for tutoring. She really hoped he wouldn't forget...

She found an empty spot and waited, fidgeting slightly after she got out the right books.

Time passed, and her mood started dropping. _He did forget after all... Guess I shouldn't be surprised—_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud shout and heavy breathing. "Kuroko!"

She turned her head and leaned over slightly to see the popular boy standing at the entrance, looking disheveled and panting like he was out of breath.

Kuroko could only stare, and it only took a few seconds before Kagami caught her eyes staring at him.

He grinned, and her heart was back to pounding in her chest. He practically ran up to where she was sitting, but then he turned apologetic.

"Sorry for, um, making you wait... I kinda... got wrapped up in somethin' and forgot. But I'm really sorry!" He seemed to stress that last part, and Kuroko found Kagami's gestures funny.

She couldn't help but smile slightly. "It's okay, Kagami-kun. I'm just happy you remembered." And it was true, she was happy to see him there.

Kagami turned brighter at that and took a seat beside her. "Okay, so... what do we do first?" He asked, looking somewhat clueless at the textbooks.

Kuroko smiled and decided to start with something simpler. "We're going to work on the languages first." She brought out her English book from middle school. "I decided it would be best to go over basics and make sure you really know them; it will help bridge the gap."

Kagami blinked and looked at her.

"Also, this session will be an assessment of sorts, to see how you are in each subject. That way I know where to start on helping you improve." She opened the smaller textbook up to a page she had found and marked last night.

She pushed the book between him and showed him certain kanji and its different forms and styles. Kuroko went through most of them and touched up on the more difficult ones that Kagami had a hard time learning. He can speak fluently in Japanese, more so than English actually, but his writing needed work.

She started making notes on what he needed to do when at home.

From the Japanese and English languages, they moved on to Math and History. They were able to briefly touch up on Science before the period was over.

"I can carry those for you." Kagami suddenly said as Kuroko threw her bag over her shoulder, prepared to carry the extra textbooks in her arms.

Kuroko blinked rapidly, not having expected that. "Oh, it's okay..."

Kagami lightly rolled his eyes and took them off the table anyway. He held them easily in his stronger arms.

"I didn't realize Kagami-kun was such a gentleman." Kuroko spoke, and it was true.

Kagami apparently grew flustered over that and looked away. "W-Well I mean you are helping me and it's the least I could do."

Kuroko's lips quirked. "Alright then, thank you."

"You don't have to thank me..." A red eye looked down at her. "We are in the same class, so it's nothing." He shrugged.

"Still though," Kuroko walked up to stand beside him as they got ready to leave. "This is the first time someone's ever done something so polite for me." She couldn't help but muse this out loud, and Kagami frowned slightly but didn't say anything.

* * *

It was humorous when Kagami learned he had been sitting in front of Kuroko the whole entire time when they returned to class and he asked where her desk was.

 _"Why didn't you ever say anything?"_ He had asked incredulously.

Kuroko shrugged a bit. _"I didn't see a need to. If Kagami-kun wanted to see me, then he would."_

That had stopped him, and his grumbling had Kuroko laughing very lightly — so lightly that Kagami hadn't heard, but surprising for her. It had been so long since she genuinely laughed outside of spending time with Nigou and online.

This was the first time at all that she actually spent time with someone, and it was so uplifting it was almost hard for Kuroko to breathe normally.

It was now after gym class and Kuroko was on clean-up duty along with a few other girls from her class.

Well, she had braved it and volunteered to help with the three other girls.

 _Just go for it. You'll never know unless you try. **-Tiger Light**_

 _Just smile and be friendly with them! **-Cute Copycat**_

 _It's simple: Just be yourself. It's all you can do. **-Lucky Rabbit**_

She could still remember their words from her last blog...

"Um... Kokoro-chan?"

The light bluenette looked up at the small girl (she was the same age as her yet she was even tinier than Kuroko!) from where she was wiping down the storage closet (their designated place of cleaning) cabinets.

"Yes... Yuki-san?" She had to wrack her brain to remember the girl's name.

The girl blinked in surprise, as if she were shocked by Kuroko knowing her name. "Um, we were just wondering why you decided to volunteer to help us. You didn't have to."

Her heart beat soundly in her chest and she mentally chided herself as she stuttered, "O-Oh, well I just wanted to be useful, that's all!"

The other two girls looked at her before they burst out laughing.

"Oh, Kokoro-chan is so weird!"

"But so cute too!"

Kuroko blinked and felt her face warm. Was she... Could she actually be having a normal conversation with her classmates?

"It's Kuroko, by the way." She mentioned, although she wasn't sure if they heard her or not.

Kuroko listened to their conversation until it became background noise, completely focused on her task of cleaning and still feeling giddy. Would the girls remember her now? Could she greet them in the mornings and they greet her back? Could they possibly include her in their group?

There was just so much running through her head... Including the blog, she just couldn't wait to blog about this! She was actually making progress! It all started with Kagami...

Suddenly, she heard the door slam shut and she turned to the entrance, only just realizing that the three were outside now.

"Huh? Why are you locking up?" One of them asked, their voices muffled slightly through the door.

"The teacher said we were done and we could lock up."

"Hey, where did Kokoro-chan run off to?" That one girl, Yuki, asked.

"I think she left earlier..."

Light blue eyes widened in terror and Kuroko ran to the door, her fingers latching on to the door hook to try to pull it open but it was jammed shut.

"No, please, I'm still in here!" She tried shouting it, but her voice was just too soft, riddled with fear as her heart jumped into her throat.

"I wonder if Kokoro-chan prefers being alone...?"

She stopped, stunned, before she tried beating her fists against the door. _No no no no..._ "You're wrong!" she feebly shouted.

"She might not want us to bother her..." Their voices were growing distant as they walked away.

"That's not true!" She banged harder on the door and she felt her lungs burn and the air grow hotter around her. _Why can't you hear me?_

Kuroko slid down, feeling drained of energy despite the fear of needing to get out. Her back pressed against the cool door and she sat there, not knowing what to do.

 _Now that I think about it... When I was young, I remember playing hide-and-seek with the kids in elementary... and waiting like this for someone to find me._ Her knees were drawn up to her chest as all was quiet. _Waiting... for so long..._

She remembered hiding behind the large tree, so eagerly waiting to be found. She waited and waited as others were found, but she...

She was never found.

 _Nobody found me, no matter how long I waited... So I went home, crying._

"This is... just like that time." She murmured to herself, starting to hug her knees to her chest. "Who would search... for someone they don't even know?" Her voice became muffled as she pressed her face into her arms. "Nobody's ever... going to find me."

 _I know it..._

 _ **I know it.**_

And then the tears started coming. Ones she always tried to keep back, because she wanted to make herself stronger.

It never seemed to work though. She couldn't do anything by herself, not even to make herself stronger...

 _But... I'm so lonely._ She couldn't help the sniffles that came out of her as she tried to control her tears. _So lonely. Somebody... Anybody..._

"I just want someone to..." She brokenly whispered and suddenly the door was slid open and she instantly looked up.

 _...to notice me!_

It was Kagami. His face was shocked as he stared at her and hers was tear-stricken with shock. Light from the outside pooled in around Kagami like a beacon, touching Kuroko just slightly.

When Kagami realized Kuroko's distress, he instantly grew concerned. "Kuroko?! Are you okay? Hey, what's wrong?"

He was absolutely freaking out because of her tears but Kuroko whispered, "Kaga...mi-kun..." And then she had reached out, and hugged his taller and muscular frame.

"I didn't think the door would open..." Her breathing hitched slightly. "I didn't think anybody would come..." That painful coldness of being utterly alone was gone. "Thank you... so much... for finding me!" Kuroko cried, her arms gripping his shirt tightly.

Kagami's warmth seeped into her like the warm sun itself and she really wanted to just stay there... But then she came back to her senses and caught Kagami's stunned look.

"I'm—I'm sorry!" She hastily apologized for acting so indecent, pulling away but then a larger hand gently grabbed her hand before she could pull away all the way.

Her breath caught as she looked at warm, determined red eyes. "I've been... watching you, you know." Her small hand warmed significantly in his. "I've noticed you for a while now, Kuroko."

 _I hadn't expected my world to change so much in such a short time... Or maybe it was something that had built up for a long time now... And it was something that **I** never noticed._

Because Kagami looked at her with a warmth she hadn't seen directed to her in years... It was a warmth that she was easily drawn to and wanted more of.

. * . * .

 **A/N:** If you want more of this then please review and more will be up soon! If you have a Wattpad or Facebook account then please consider visiting the links provided in my profile to vote for this in the contest it's entered in! If you can't, then please spread it around! =D


	3. Diary 3 - Stepping Out Can Be Scary

**Diary 3 - Stepping Out Can Be Scary**

 _"I've been watching you... for a long time."_

Kuroko stared wide-eyed as Kagami sat with her now - how they got to sitting on the floor she didn't know. Kuroko still sniffed and Kagami just kept staring at her, his face flushed as red as his hair.

He started scratching at his head again. "Uh, sorry... Guess that wasn't really the best time to tell you, uh..." He looked away, suddenly becoming flustered.

Kuroko looked down then, and brought a hand up to rub at her watery eyes. She couldn't believe she was actually crying - and in front of Kagami!

"But, I really wanted you to know so..." Kagami offered Kuroko a towel that had his initials on it - a gift from Kise because the model liked spoiling the team.

"Oh, th-thank you." Kuroko murmured, and wiped at her face. She couldn't do anything about her red, puffy eyes so she just made herself look as presentable as she possibly could.

"No problem." Kagami smiled and offered a hand to help her up.

They walked out together and Kuroko hadn't realized it was already dark - she was glad she had already seen Nigou earlier and taken care of him.

"It's late, should I walk you home?" Kagami rumbled beside her, and she looked at him, surprised and still using the towel he gave her.

Perhaps Kagami was more of a gentleman than she originally thought. But this was something that she grew flustered over.

"I don't want to trouble you..." she trailed off, looking away.

Kagami scoffed, shrugging and wearing a grin. "Hey, I did offer. It's no problem. So?" He gestured for the street that would lead away from the school.

Kuroko decided to take him up on his offer, although incredibly awkward and nervous, she nodded her head and began the path to her house.

Along the way, to help make things less awkward, Kuroko asked him how he was doing with basketball club and that got the ace to talking enthusiastically. The light blunette was content with smiling to herself and listening to Kagami talk about the club. She could tell easily how much he loved it, how much of his entire _being_ was into basketball and she admired that.

During the walk she admitted to playing basketball a bit in elementary but after being forgotten so much during practice, she decided not to play it. Kagami had frowned and looked particularly upset at that, grumbling something about how he would have played with her and not forgotten about her. She laughed quietly, and their moods turned higher.

"Well thank you for walking me, Kagami-kun." Kuroko told him as they stopped at her house.

"Yeah, no problem." He smiled easily, awkwardly shifting his feet. "I guess I'll... see you tomorrow?"

He looked hopeful, and Kuroko nodded with a small smile. "Yes, please be careful on your way home. And... thank you again."

He just smiled, and Kuroko watched him walk back down the street.

Feeling strangely giddy, she went into the house and didn't bother calling out to her parents - she was sure they were busy or asleep.

Kuroko couldn't believe it! Once she was in her room, she instantly blogged.

 _That popular guy from before? He said he's been watching me and has noticed me for a while now! **-Shadow**_

She felt so happy that she held the phone to her chest. She then decided to clean the towel Kagami lended her.

She felt the familiar buzzing of notifications and looked at her phone.

 _Hey that's awesome Shadow-chan! **-Cute Copycat**_

 _That's good. I'm happy for you. **-Tiger Light**_

Kuroko smiled and then set about her task of cleaning Kagami's towel. She wanted to return it to him tomorrow. Maybe get to school early enough before basketball practice starts?

She nodded to herself, yes, that's what she would do.

. * . * . * .

It was so early when Kuroko set off that her father hadn't even left for work yet.

"Good morning, Dad." Kuroko greeted him as he came into the kitchen carrying a coffee mug.

"Good morning." He responded in a deep, monotone voice. Her father had short black hair and dark eyes... A contrast to her and her mother's looks although she always seemed to act like her father more in terms of quirks and personality.

"I'll be leaving early for school today... I hope you have a good day today." Kuroko responded in the thick silence. Normally silence was never an issue with her and her father, as they were used to it, but now it grew heavy and awkward between them.

"Yes, I hope you do too." He said and went back to the living room and Kuroko watched him go, her mood somber.

Her and her father used to be so close... They could talk about anything and it would never be awkward between them. Her parents would always ask her how her day went at school, and if something was out of the ordinary (like going to school early), then they would be worried and ask about it.

Now it was like... they just didn't care. And that hurt Kuroko a lot, she wished she knew how to fix whatever was broken between them all.

She set out for school after fixing a small meal for herself, intent on checking on Nigou first and then going by the school's gym.

Tending to the puppy took longer than expected and she got to the gym as practice was almost over.

"Oh wow, so dreamy!"

"They really work out, huh?"

Those were excited whispers from the multitude of fangirls from her class and other classes and grades. Anyone who was a fan of the basketball team stood crowding around the large doors to see the players as they practiced on the court.

The light bluenette stood to the sidelines a bit once she made it into the gymnasium. She was short and small and didn't feel like braving the crowd just to see the teens playing better. Kuroko clutched the towel in her hands and gripped it when she suddenly saw Kagami jump and do a lane-up.

Girls squealed as he dunked the ball and some clapped but Kuroko just stood there amazed and awestruck.

She started watching more of the practice game, amazed at how much effort each team member put in to winning the game. Not only that, but they were team-driven and watched carefully by the second-year coach, Aida Riko. Kuroko knew her to be an admirable senpai, although she's never gotten the chance to actually speak with her.

When the practice game was done, she still stood there and watched as the players went off to either clean up or talk with the girls that hadn't ran off already.

Kuroko's eyes found Kagami as the muscular boy drunk from his water bottle. She blushed slightly as she looked away from seeing his sweaty form, but that's when he looked up and noticed her.

A wry grin broke across his face, but before he could go to her, another girl approached him.

"Kagami-kun, you sure worked hard today! You're all sweaty so here, take this." The black-haired girl sweetly offered the towel to him and Kagami nervously scratched his head.

"Thank you, but, someone just brought mine to me so if you'll excuse me..." Kagami quickly ran toward where the familiar girl stood, leaving the other and her face fell. "Kuroko!"

When Kagami shouted, Kuroko looked up to see the grinning teen running up to her and then stopping before her. "Kagami-kun..." Was all Kuroko could say as she looked at his out-of-breath form.

"I didn't know you would come by here, so what's up? You brought my towel?" Kagami looked at the neatly pressed towel and Kuroko handed it to him with a nod - unaware of the dark stares from the small crowd of girls directed at her.

"Yes, I wanted to return it and thank you for lending it to me..."

"Hey, who is that?"

"Isn't she the girl that was seen with Kagami-kun last night? Walking outside the school with him?"

"What?! And now she's got his towel?! Just who does she think she is?"

Now the whispers and stares were getting to her and Kuroko fidgeted. She's never had this much attention on her before...

"Hey, it's no problem. See ya in class?" Kagami asked after wiping his face off, appreciating the new smell coming from the towel after Kuroko washed it.

"Y-Yes. Excuse me!" Kuroko spoke hastily and then she ran out of the gym, unable to keep under that harsh gaze of all of those girls.

She breathed harshly as she stopped at her locker. It had been... scary.

That was the first time something like that had ever happened.

* * *

Kuroko made it to class like normal and saw the three girls from yesterday standing around her desk, talking like usual.

"Um, excuse me..." She went to say as she tried to get around to her desk but then one of the girls stepped back on her and freaked out.

"Kokoro-chan?! Whaa! If you're here then say something!"

"But I did... And it's Kuroko-chan..."

"You always pop up out of nowhere!"

"And you left without saying anything yesterday!" This time it was Yuki who said something, looking worried.

"About that..." Kuroko started to explain what happened but didn't get the chance to as the girls were already distracted into talking on their fun night they had.

"Which reminds me, wasn't karaoke soooo fun yesterday?"

"Oh my God! And that person in the other room..." The girl snorted in her laughter.

"We should go again!"

"Um..." Kuroko tried to get into the conversation but it was like there was a wall between her and them.

"Yeah! It would be fun! Maybe we can see if Kise-kun wants to go...?"

"Ooooh, yeah! He really likes karaoke!"

Kuroko just listened as her shoulders slumped, but then she heard her other classmates calling out to Kagami and Kise as they entered.

Kuroko's light blue eyes instantly found the two boys walking in and looked at Kagami as he smiled to the guys who talked to him.

As if feeling her gaze, the dark redhead looked up and caught her gaze and Kuroko looked down, embarrassed for staring.

She chanced a peek at him, and when she did, he grinned at her and she felt her heart do serious palpitations.

Kagami was really nice... And she smiled where she sat, listening to the others around her.

 _There's someone in this classroom... in this school... who knows about me._ Kuroko sniffed lightly. _And that makes me happy... Really happy._

. * . * . * .

 _I can't believe the boy is so nice to me! He smiles and greets me unlike the rest... It makes me really happy that he's been watching me all this time. :) **-Shadow**_

 _It shocks even me._ Kuroko thought as she tidied up her room. Tutoring Kagami went like before, even better in fact since they talked more. It made her so giddy!

 _In fact, if he says he has been watching you and is so nice to you as you say, then he must like you. How ignorant can you be? **-Lucky Rabbit**_

What? _Like me...?_

 _Ooooh, I think he has feelings for you Shadow-chan! **-Cute Copycat**_

Kuroko blinked, in shock. There's no way!

 _You're right... If he didn't like you, then why would he be watching you? **-Tiger Light**_

She supposed it was true... After all, no one ever noticed her and it seemed like her and Kagami met easily and started talking and he said he had noticed her for a while now...

But why would someone like Kagami Taiga be watching _her?_ Just what kind of person was he really?

* * *

The squeak of shoes against the court could be heard outside the gym... Kuroko wasn't sure what she was doing here really. It was after school now and she was just about to head home when she had the urge to come here and see Kagami...

The way he moved on the court was truly amazing, it was even hard for Kise - the other ace - to keep up with him. His facial expression was something Kuroko absorbed. How focused he was when having the ball, and then when his team made a shot - the happy smile that lit his features made her heart pound more in her chest.

Kagami didn't come around Nigou that much, but he always met her for their tutoring sessions and made a habit of talking to her when he could.

She watched as the practice game ended and Kagami's face was red from exertion... Kuroko remembered how his face would turn red when around her sometimes...

 _It means he likes you!_ She remembered Rabbit's words and shook her head, her long strands of light blue hitting her in the face lightly by the force.

She was just about to turn and quietly leave when Kagami noticed her.

"Hey, Kuroko!" And then the grinning ace was running to her while the girls that wanted to talk to Kagami looked confused. "Did you come to see me?"

"Uh, er, um..." Kuroko was at a loss for words, and Kagami grinned - and Kuroko could swear she became blinded by the light of it for a second or two.

"Kagami-kun? Who's that girl?" The girls were still there, and all of them were looking at _her._

"Wait a second... Isn't that the girl from the other day? The one walking with Kagami-kun outside the school?"

Suddenly they were shouting at her.

"What... what does that mean?! Why would you be with Kagami-kun at night?"

Kuroko went to open her mouth, shocked stiff, but nothing came out.

"What! You can't say why?"

"What did you do to Kagami!?"

Kuroko was scared, her eyes taking in the hateful looks directed at her. Her hands were shaking slightly, and she didn't know what to say or what to do.

"I-I'm sorry..." Her voice was too quiet.

"Why don't you just tell us!"

It was becoming too much, she wanted to just shrivel up and disappear.

"It was nothing."

Suddenly, a new voice entered and Kuroko turned to the sound, noticing past Kagami's dumbfounded expression.

"Kise-kun!" A girl shouted, and it was true.

The blond popular boy was standing there, wearing a strange serious expression as he walked closer.

"Why are you causing such a fuss, Kagamicchi?" Suddenly Kise turned cheerful as he threw an arm around the taller male's shoulders, causing Kagami to duck down. "Why don't you give the ladies' the truth?"

"What..." Before Kagami could think to respond or help Kuroko, Kise was already talking again - this time moving to wrap an arm around Kuroko instead.

"You see, this girl got stuck in the gym storage..." He held her close, and Kuroko grew flustered at the close contact. "...And Kagamicchi just happened to find her and help her out!"

"What...? Is that true?" One of the girls questioned.

Kise nodded. "Totally! I mean, we all know how nice a guy Kagamicchi really is, right?"

What the blond ace said next crushed Kuroko inside.

"He just can't resist helping... a poor girl like this."

"Kise! What are you say-" Kagami looked mad, but Kise stopped him by inconspicuously putting a finger to his lips.

Kuroko didn't see any of it, she didn't see much of anything really.

"So there's nothing between them?"

"Yeah, there couldn't be, could there?" The group of girls talked, lessening their harsh gaze on Kuroko.

"I mean, look at how plain she is. You barely notice her."

 _It was... just pity._ Kuroko looked down. "Kagami-kun, thank you for before. I'm sorry for bothering you." She offered a small smile that hurt her to make.

She walked at a fast pace away from there, unable to hold her head up any longer.

. * . * . * .

 _And I thought that just once... the sun was shining on me._ Kuroko stood all alone in the dark. But now I'm here... back in the shadows.

"Everyone settle down!" The teacher called out. "I'm taking attendance. Let me know if anyone's not here."

"Wait... who sits there again?" A girl noticed the empty seat behind Kagami.

"Uh... I forgot. Shouldn't matter anyway..." A boy told her, and they forgot about it and Kagami frowned.

* * *

Kuroko sighed as she sat outside, watching Nigou play with a ball she had gotten him.

"I bet class has started... but I don't want to go in." Kuroko murmured as Nigou came to her, the puppy cutely tilted his head as if in worry and question.

Kuroko smiled sadly at him and started petting him. "Nobody will notice if I don't go in anyway." The dark thoughts made her heart heavy in her chest and she didn't know how to get rid of this weight.

She looked at nothing as she remembered how nice Kagami was to her... How he smiled at her and remembered her name. How he seemed to always notice her and greet her in the mornings when no one else did. How he said _I've been watching you,_ and how it had uplifted her so much...

 _Nobody's ever said something like that to me before... It made me really happy._ She looked up at the blue sky filled with large clouds. _It was like he was saying... "You're not alone." ... "You're just fine the way you are."_

Before she realized it, she could feel the warm prickling sensation in her eyes as tears brimmed and threatened to fall. She tried to focus on Nigou chasing after the ball but the a tall shadow was cast from behind her and she turned instantly to see Kagami standing there.

Her breath caught as their eyes met and she realized he was out of breath, had he been running here?

"I'm glad, you're here." He panted, still looking at her as if she would disappear.

"Kagami-kun what..." she murmured in astonishment before she remembered those words that broke her. _**He can't resist helping a poor girl like that...**_

Kuroko instantly got up and started pushing Kagami away. "Please do not worry about me. You should go back to class."

"What?" Kagami was the shocked one now as he held his ground and Kuroko tried feebly to push him back.

"You're so popular... Everyone likes you!" Kuroko didn't know why she was suddenly shouting now, but she was. "But me... Nobody even notices when I'm gone!" _So don't... Don't pity me anymore!_

Kagami halted entirely, grasping her firmly by the shoulders. "When you're not around, I notice!" His voice was raised and it cut through Kuroko and made her stop.

 _What..._ She looked up at him, and his red eyes were fierce and his expression serious.

"I haven't been watching you because I feel sorry for you. That's not what I meant when I told you that." He seemed to lean even closer, a faint red dusting his cheeks. "What I meant was... I really like you." The sun shone on them then, coming out from behind a large cloud.

"I've been watching you... because I like you, Kuroko."

. * . * . * .

 **A/N:** Remember to please go vote for this if you're enjoying this and are able to vote! This story applies to the Multi-Chapter Entries and Cover Entries.


	4. Diary 4 - I Like You

**Diary 4 - I Like You**

The sun never seemed brighter then, shining down on them and basking them both in a warmth as both hearts pounded awayin their chests and ears.

"What...?" Kuroko was shocked as wide light blue eyes stared at the boy who had stepped slightly away from her. _Kagami-kun likes..._ ** _me?_** But... _He just can't resist helping a poor girl like this._ "You're lying."

"I'm not!" Kagami instantly defended, surprising Kuroko.

"But there's no reason for someone like Kagami-kun to like someone like me — I'm plain and quiet... there's nothing good about m—"

"There is! I've seen it!" Kagami interrupted and Kuroko looked at him once more to see his serious expression. "Ever since school started... I've noticed you." His red eyes seemed to burn into her with their flare of emotion. "Do you think... you could feel the same about me?"

Kuroko's breath caught and they both heard the sound of the bell.

"Oh! I've got to get back... see you in class?" His blushing expression was hopeful and she dumbly nodded, too taken aback to talk.

The light bluenette watched him go until his form faded away in the distance. She fell to her knees slowly, unsteadily so. Did that just..?

 _Kagami-kun really likes me?_ She thought as Nigou came running up to her.

He barked and whined as if concerned and she picked him up to hold him close, still staring off in Kagami's direction.

* * *

 _Is this... a dream?_

Kuroko walked to class in a daze and could hear her classmates talking as she entered the room.

"What's your second period?"

"Did you do the homework?"

"Kagami, where were you first period?" Yuki asked him as curious girls stood around him.

"I was worried!"

"Don't cut class by yourself — take me with you!"

"The teacher was mad!"

Kagami was looking apologetic but then when he saw Kuroko, his face turned red and he started scratching at his head.

"What's the matter, Kagami-kun?"

"You're acting weird!"

None of them saw her like Kagami did.

 _It's hard to believe that someone as popular as Kagami-kun could like me._

When she got some time to herself, she blogged.

 _I'm in shock (°_°;)_

 _You guys were right... The really popular boy just told me he likes me...!_

 _What should I do...?_

 ** _-Shadow_**

She rested against the staircase in the school at the was just turning lunch time and she was still in disbelief about the whole issue. She could hear students talking below but paid no mind to it.

 _Whoa! You go Shadow-chan!_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _The logical thing is to keep being yourself, obviously._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

Kuroko could feel her face still burning and she placed a pale hand against a flushed cheek. _This has never happened before!_

 _Ooooh, I'm so happy for you! I bet he noticed you not giving up! (^ ^) So are you gonna go out with him?_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

"What?" Kuroko couldn't help but gasp out loud. _Go... go out with him?_

 _Me?_

Kuroko blinked large light blue eyes. _That's right... I guess things don't end here do they? Kagami-kun is expecting an answer after all. But what could he really see in me? I've never had to worry about love before..._

Suddenly, someone collided with her just as she went to stand and she stumbled back to the ground just as she heard the person groan.

"Ow... What was that?" The blond whined and rubbed his head — like Kuroko was doing. It was handsome popular boy Kise Ryouta.

His golden eyes looked around and he gasped when he noticed her. "Oh wow, it's you... Kuroko-chan! What were you doing down there? Are you okay?" Kise grew concerned when he saw how red her forehead was.

"Hello, Kise-kun. Yes, I'm okay. Sorry for being in the way."

"Ah, no it was—" Suddenly Kise stopped when they both heard voices looking for Kise and he shut up and motioned for Kuroko to do the same (although she was already being quiet...).

When the students finally retreated, the blond let out a sigh of relief. "Oh man, they're finally gone. Those fangirls can be so pesky when they want to be." Kise looked over at the light bluenette, who was picking up her bento she had dropped. "Wow, you really are invisible!"

Kuroko wasn't sure what to say to that so she just nodded and dusted off her skirt.

"So Kagamicchi told you he likes you, right?" Kise was grinning and Kuroko stopped and Kise's grin grew mischievous. "I knew it! Ha, I know Kagamicchi well enough to just know these things, he can't fool me! SO, what're you gonna do?"

Kuroko looked at him as he stood up. "What do you mean? I haven't... decided on anything yet." She looked away, trying hard to keep back the blush at thinking back to the confession.

Kise regarded the shorter girl with seriousness. "You know, it won't go well with Kagamicchi unless you can be more confident." Kuroko stood there as she turned to look at him. "Remember those girls from before at basketball practice? It doesn't... seem like you've got the guts to stand up to them."

Kise started walking toward the stairs but turned to give her a warm smile, though that smile did nothing to warm her. "Maybe you should just enjoy life the way you are, plain and quiet?" And then he was gone, and Kuroko was clutching the bento in her hands.

. * . * . * . * .

 _In my excitement I forgot... Kagami-kun and I live in completely different worlds._ Kuroko watched how much Kagami shined as an athlete, in gym class he was as radiant as a star. Everyone called for him and he helped whatever team he was on.

 _And besides..._ All the light bluenette could do was watch from afar, not able to join the crowd of her other peers. _I'm not brave enough to stand up for myself._

She was at home before she knew it, completing chores and then blogging before bed.

 _I guess..._

 _I'll have to say no to him._

 _He's too popular, and I don't think I could deal with those girls watching me all the time..._

 _I'll be happy with my blog, and with you guys, Rabbit-kun and Copycat-kun and Tiger-kun._

 ** _-Shadow_**

 _This is the right choice..._ Kuroko went to bed without waiting to see the comments. She felt so drained from everything.

 _I've always wanted to be in the sun... but I'm probably better off in the shade._

It wasn't long before Kuroko fell asleep and in her deep sleep, she found herself in a dream.

 _Where am I?_ She looked around herself at the shade she was under, cast by a large tree. _It's dark and cold... I'm all alone._ She felt a warmth and looked off to the side, seeing a familiar figure there. _Oh... Kagami-kun._

It was indeed him, though his back was facing her. There was a light around him that looked so inviting...

"Finally someone found you, shouldn't you go?"

The sudden voice startled Kuroko into looking in the opposite direction. She was surprised to see a little girl standing there, her features so familiar as her short light blue hair whipped slightly around her.

 _A younger me...?_ It definitely looked like her younger self. "I-I'm fine. I'm used to being alone." She offered her a reassuring smile, though she didn't feel it working. "I'll be fine like this, forever..."

And then her younger self started to cry, light blue eyes glistening as she frowned. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

Suddenly Kuroko gasped awake, feeling that her face was wet and she wiped away the tears. "A dream..."

She sat there as she recovered and shook her head. "No, I'm not lonely..." _It's normal to be alone._ "And I still have my blog..." She went to look at her phone and turned it on to the blog.

 _That is stupid. Who cares about that? This isn't the Shadow I've come to know, you shouldn't give up so easily._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

 _What..._ Kuroko drew a hand up to her mouth as if to hold in the tide of emotions.

 _But Shadow-chan! Are you sure that's what you want? If you do that, then won't you be all alone again? I don't want you to give up like this!_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _But... Am I really brave enough to step into the sun?_ The figure of Kagami shrouded in light came to her then. So warm and inviting...

Suddenly, Kuroko could hear a rumble in the sky and heard how hard the rain pelted against her window.

"Nigou!" She realized with fright and shot up.

She quickly got dressed and started running toward the school. In her haste, she only thought to put on a small jacket, so worried for the puppy.

The rain was cold as it bit into her skin and sunk through her clothes. She ran through puddles on her way to the old storage house and pried the old door open.

"Nigou!" She called out, but didn't see or hear the pup. With dread, she hastily went out and back into the rain. She called for the pup over and over, her wet hair sticking to her face and skin and she was starting to grow desperate.

 _I can't do it alone..._ And then the image of Kagami came to her mind again and she stopped, almost tripping into a deep puddle of water. _Why, why did I think of Kagami-kun just now?_

Up until now, ever since her parents stopped paying any attention to her, there's never been someone to help her out. To rely on... But that should be normal for her. She should be fine on her own.

But why did that want to break her heart?

"Nigou!" She gasped as she suddenly tripped when she tried to run more. She braced herself for the wet fall, but abruptly there was something holding her from falling and she realized there were hands around her shoulders.

She turned to see who it was and saw Kagami's face. She almost believed it to be a figment of her deeper wishes but then his face twisted into concern and he started shouting at her over the heavy rain.

"Kuroko! Hey, are you okay?"

She couldn't help but smile. She felt okay now, and he helped her to her feet. "What are you doing out here, Kagami-kun?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He smirked at her before he sighed, running a hand through his wet hair, slicking it back. "I already know though... Because I'm worried too, about the little guy."

Kuroko blinked, astonished. She was under the impression that Kagami didn't like Nigou... So why was he here?

"You don't have to..." She spoke quietly, but he just flashed her a reassuring grin.

"I want to help you."

Kuroko felt her heart beat faster and they went on together to scour the school grounds for Nigou. The rain pelted them as they called out and finally they found the pup near the doors to the cafeteria — which were locked.

"Nigou! I was so worried," Kuroko instantly grabbed the wet pup and held him in her arms and she felt him nuzzle her for warmth and wag his tail. She was so happy that he was all right. He must have gotten spooked by the sudden storm...

Suddenly, Kuroko didn't feel the rain beating down on her and looked to see Kagami held his large coat over her and Nigou.

"Kagami-kun?"

"Here, this way you and the dog can at least stay a little dry. We can head back to the storage house like this and wait for the storm to clear up there." He said and Kuroko was stunned by his generosity and kindness.

 _Kagami-kun continues to amaze me..._ She thought as they started on their trek back.

It didn't take them long to reach it, and they instantly went inside and Kuroko put Nigou down as the pup started shaking his fur of the wetness.

"I believe there's some towels in here..." Kuroko started looking through the old shelves and found some that had been left behind. She handed one to Kagami and then used the only other one to dry Nigou off so he wouldn't get sick.

"There isn't another one?" Kagami asked, confused.

Kuroko shook her head, water droplets still clinging to her wet strands of hair and she was sure she looked like a drowned rat, but her concern was on Nigou.

Kagami sighed and walked over to drop the towel over Kuroko's head, whose eyes widened. "Kagami-kun—"

"Idiot, do you want to catch a cold?" he grumbled, and she could feel him start to rub her head to dry it and she blushed.

"But what about Kagami-kun?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry," He smiled at her when she turned her head to look at him and she was caught by the genuine look. "I happen to work out a lot and stay fit, mostly on Coach's orders. My body can withstand this, but I'm worried about you. You're so small and pale." He continued rubbing her hair and Kuroko couldn't wipe away the blush from her cheeks.

"I don't want to be a bother... You don't have to worry about me." She shyly peeked at him again. "Thank you for coming out here."

Kagami stopped and their eyes caught. Though the cold from the rain seeped into the old building they were in, the air was warm between them.

The dark redhead finally swallowed after a while of just gazing at each other. "You know, I was there."

"Huh?" Kuroko blinked, but still looked at Kagami. It was like she couldn't look away now, and Nigou had curled into her lap for a nap, wrapped up and warm in the towel.

"On the first day of school... I had been walking on the overhead bridge when I heard it." Kagami smiled fondly. "The girl that stopped traffic to save a dog, and then was hit by a motorcycle."

Kuroko was absolutely shocked as she listened to Kagami.

"I couldn't help but notice you, and the way you had smiled when the dog was okay... I remember hearing about your hospitalization but I never knew what hospital you were in. It was some time later that I realized you were in the same class as me."

 _From way back then? He noticed me?_

Kuroko looked down then. She... she really wanted to be by Kagami's side.

Kagami laughed. "And now you're my tutor."

"Kagami-kun... I, um, don't think I should go out with you now... I'd be a bad girlfriend."

Kagami's eyes widened. "But!"

"But I... I want to become a person who can be close to you!" She let out her feelings, it's like they wanted to overwhelm her. _I want to leave the shade... and step out into the warm sun for once._

"Yeah..."

Kuroko looked up at hearing his voice and saw his earnest expression.

"I want to be close to you too." And he smiled, and Kuroko found herself smiling too. The sound of the rain lightened as they sat there together.

 _If I'm with Kagami-kun... I wonder, will I grow? Finding my place in the sunlight like everyone else? Until even my transparency can be seen...?_

. * . * . * . * .

It was a new day for Kuroko, and the sun was shining after the rain.

 _It seems the popular boy has been watching me for a long time now! I can't imagine going out with him now, but I'd like to change into the kind of person who can be close with him. I'm sorry for making you guys worry.._ ** _-Shadow_**

It had been the last blog post by her and she felt like this decision was a big step for her.

Copycat had given her some advice, telling her to try and greet people... And then her brows furrowed. Tiger hadn't been on to say anything in a while... She was starting to worry, but figured he was too busy.

She still missed him though.

Kuroko was just stepping into her classroom when she thought it. She had given up on saying hi a long time ago, since no one ever said hi back. But maybe... Maybe if she were brighter while saying it...

"Good morning." Her voice raised as she smiled slightly at some of the nearby classmates. When no one seemed to notice, Kuroko grew discouraged.

"Hey, Kuroko!"

The short girl turned around to see Kagami and Kise coming into the classroom and both Kuroko and Kagami blushed at seeing each other.

"Good morning," Kuroko said to him as Kise walked by them wearing a smirk.

"Yeah, good morning." Kagami told her, scratching his head lightly and Kuroko wondered why he was feeling nervous.

Their eyes met and they both ended up sharing a smile together.

It was after class when one of the students made an announcement about a game for the whole class to participate in.

 _Should I go too...?_ Kuroko wondered as she watched her classmates get up and walk to the center where everyone was talking. No one noticed her and she looked down. Whatever they were playing sounded fun...

She got up. Maybe she should go check on Nigou...

"Kuroko!"

She turned her head to see Kagami's smiling face. Other smiling faces of her classmates turned toward her and she stopped.

"You should join us." He beckoned with his hand and Kuroko felt her heart lighten in her chest, like it wasn't even there as it pounded away.

She hesitated for the briefest of moments. Was it really okay? _Is it all right to just go...?_ Slowly, she started walking toward the group that looked like an incredibly warm light to her. _I've wanted to do this..._

Once she was there, she looked around at all of the faces that were happy as they played the game. _...for a long, long time._

 _The class circle._

She was taken aback by just how precious it was to her, an incredible open warmth that she yearned to be apart of for years now.

 _It felt so cold looking at it from the outside. But on the inside it's... so warm._

. * . * . * . * .

 **A/N:** Please review and tell me what ya think! Voting is open until May 25th! I would greatly appreciate the support =)


	5. Diary 5 - Wanting To Run Away

**Diary 5 - Wanting To Run Away**

 _Maybe I'll be able to live in the sun after all..._

Kuroko wandered through the halls until she went out once more. Her tutoring sessions with Kagami were going good and they both seemed to be learning and helping each other just as their homeroom teacher said.

She went to give water and food to Nigou like usual, thankful that neither one of them got sick from the rainstorm. She smiled at the puppy and pet around his ears just as she heard someone running closer to them.

Curious, she looked and saw it was Kagami and her heart beat faster.

"Kagami-kun?" She stood up as he stopped, catching his breath.

"Hey!" he greeted, grinning at her and she smiled and ducked her head. "What's the matter?" he asked, tilting his head and running a hand through his spiky hair.

"Kagami-kun is too handsome. Especially when he smiles..." She said that last part more to herself and he flushed but grinned wider, rubbing a finger under his nose.

"Huh, you really think so?"

Kuroko just nodded, peeking up at him. He was just about to say something when Nigou suddenly barked cutely and ran toward him with a wagging tail.

The light bluenette watched as the brute yelped and ran away from the puppy, and Nigou stopped in his tracks, whining softly.

Kuroko blinked, "Kagami-kun, Nigou wishes to lick you for helping him the other day."

"O-Oh..." Kagami came out from behind a nearby tree, but he still looked wary, and he jumped when Nigou barked at him again.

Kuroko tilted her head slightly. "Kagami-kun... Are you afraid of dogs?" She had had a sneaking suspicion, but when Kagami had braved a storm to help her find him she figured he had gotten over it.

"W-Well..." he stuttered, looking away, embarrassment clearly written on his face. "When I was little, I was attacked by a group of big dogs. I had to go to the hospital... and ever since, I've just been afraid of'em." He shrugged, scratching the back of his head.

Kuroko's face fell, she had no idea. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to remind you of such a painful time." She called for Nigou to come to her then, fully prepared to try and hide him from Kagami's view at least.

"Oh no, it's fine." Kagami stopped her, and she looked back at him. "The little one is okay, besides..." Kagami looked fondly and bemusedly between the puppy's eyes and hers. "You both have the same eyes, it's funny and cute."

Kuroko blushed. "Kagami-kun is so bold."

He chuckled, and moved closer then to sit with her. They both watched as Nigou chased after a butterfly among the wildflowers growing in front of the storage building.

"So why do you keep him here?" Kagami asked her after a bit, and Kuroko tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't be allowed to have a pet at home..." Her brows furrowed. "I'm sure my parents would not like it."

Kagami turned to her. "Have you tried asking them?"

Kuroko drew a hand to her chest, as if to keep what she's been feeling over the years from spilling out. "My parents and I... aren't on friendly speaking terms."

Kagami grew surprised at this. "How come?"

The fist only tightened against her chest. "I'm not sure... It started out as disagreements and distance between them, and then it went to this... silence. And now they won't even talk to me. Some nights they'll just yell and argue at each other and it... scares me." It felt good to finally talk about this with someone, before she kept it all to herself.

Kagami frowned, and then Kuroko abruptly felt an arm wrap around her back and shoulder and she was pulled into Kagami's larger and warmer form. She flushed and looked at him and he tensed, slightly loosening his arm.

"Uh, ah, sorry. You looked like you needed it, so..." When he went to move, she grasped the flap of his uniform shirt with her hand.

"Please don't." She stopped as her face grew even redder. "Kagami-kun feels nice... Thank you for the comfort." It was something she hasn't felt with anyone other than Kagami in years. She missed it so much.

His face was slightly tinted red, but he gave her such an earnest expression and tightened his hold. Kuroko had to look back at Nigou in order to breathe properly.

"You're not alone. I promise you, Kuroko you're not alone." His words were delivered without hesitation, no doubt, and she felt them pierce her heart and seep there deeply.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly, but she just knew he heard her.

. * . * . * . * . * .

When it was time for their next class, they got up and started walking back to the school building together. Staying close and smiling and talking as they did.

"Oh..." Kagami stopped her just as they went into the hallway where more students were starting to gather.

"Yes Kagami-kun?" she asked, noticing how his cheeks slightly blushed and he did that nervous gesture of his again.

"I was wondering if, if maybe you could... stop by after basketball practice this evening so I could walk you home?" His blush reached the top of his ears and Kuroko found the look endearing.

She nodded, "Sure, I would like that very much." She smiled at him, so absorbed at looking into his eyes that she failed to notice the girls looking at the two.

.

When they departed and Kuroko started to go into the girls changing room, she heard it.

 _"What!? Really!?"_

 _"I swear!"_

She could hear girls talking inside as she twisted the door handle to open it.

"Kagami and that girl from Class 3... Kuroko-san, were getting all friendly!"

"Which one is Kuroko-san again?"

"You know, that boring-looking girl who was at basketball practice."

Kuroko stopped, her eyes wide as she stood in the doorway.

"What! Doesn't that piss you off?"

"I bet just because Kagami-kun's nice to her, she's getting all these strange ideas."

"You're right!"

"I mean, they're just in the same class, right?!"

"I bet she'll come to cheer him on at basketball again."

Kuroko's knees started shaking and she broke out into a run away from there as she heard the last of it.

 _"If she does that, should we teach her a lesson?"_

Kuroko's breathing was harsh as she kept running, just wanting to hide and escape.

"Hey!" Someone grabbed her by the arm when she went through the doors to go outside.

Shocked and frightened, she turned wide light blue eyes on the person and saw Kise there.

"What's wrong?" he looked concerned, but also strangely serious. "You're as white as a sheet, like you've seen a ghost."

"No... I'm fine." She took back her arm, gaining space between them.

There were a few seconds of silence before Kise broke it with his still strange expression.

"Has someone bullied you already?"

"It's not that—"

"Man," Kise sighed, interrupting her. "Didn't I tell you? If you're going to hang around Kagamicchi... then you're going to have to stand up to some bullying."

Kuroko looked at him, feeling her erratic heartbeat calm down.

"You can't expect it to be an easy ride. You have to change yourself, even if it kills you!"

* * *

 _It's not that I forgot what Kise-kun told me... I know that I have to change._ Since she had calmed down from her fright, Kuroko managed to slip into gym class and now stood to herself while the others played.

 _But this hostility that I suddenly feel..._ Kuroko ducked out of view when she noticed two girls looking her way and whispering to each other. _...is scarier than I ever imagined._

 _I guess the shadows in the sun are even darker._

Kuroko was starting to walk home when she dropped a paper that had her homework assignment on it. She watched in horror as it was swept by the breeze and she started to chase after it but then stopped when someone caught it.

The girl was smaller than Kuroko, and her dark hair was up in pigtails.

"Yuki-chan..." Kuroko stated and the girl noticed her.

"Oh hey, Kuroko-chan!" She waved with a large smile. Kuroko was in shock though, she got her name right?

"You... remembered?" Kuroko stopped in front of her.

"Oh, yeah!" She looked embarrassed and apologetic. "Sorry for getting your name wrong before... And here's your paper!" She handed it to Kuroko, and she clutched it in her hand.

"But you... you noticed me just now?"

"Well yeah, silly!" Yuki giggled cutely. "You were in our class's game right? You were totally better than me."

Kuroko was so surprised that she couldn't say anything.

"Oh, but I should go." Yuki said when a friend yelled for her. "See ya, Kuroko-chan!" And she waved as she left.

For a heart-stopping moment, all Kuroko could do was stare. And then she was running toward the gym, feeling so jovial she had to see him... Just had to see her _light._

Kagami had been looking down after not seeing Kuroko anywhere but suddenly he felt something almost collide with him and turned to see it was her. That girl he loved to see, Kuroko.

"Kagami-kun!" She looked at him with a beaming face and Kagami was taken aback by it. "Just-just now, a girl from class spoke to me, she remembered me!"

Kagami couldn't help but smile widely at her happy look. "Really? That's amazing!"

Kuroko nodded, still smiling, but then she felt stares on her from the girls still there in the gym.

Kagami noticed her discomfort and moved so he was blocking their view. "I was wondering... Do you have a cell phone?"

Kuroko was surprised, but nodded and watched as Kagami's face flushed.

"Then can we... swap numbers? I'd like to be there for you in any way I can." His red eyes practically smoldered into hers and Kuroko was left breathless.

She had never exchanged numbers before so Kagami had to show her. He leaned over her from behind and Kuroko couldn't help the blush as she could smell the musky scent that was distinctly Kagami. _He's so close!_ Were all her thoughts were about in that moment.

Afterwards, Kuroko quickly left to avoid the girls. She looked at her phone when she was safely in her room, smiling at 'Kagami Taiga' in her contacts list. It was so surreal that she honestly expected it all to be a dream.

Her phone suddenly let out a strange ding! sound that she wasn't used to and saw she just received a text message from Kagami.

 _Hey._

Was all it said and Kuroko bit her lip, how should she respond?

 _Hi._

In the end, she just stuck with something small. Her heart raced in her chest as they started texting back and forth.

It made her light and giddy and she was regretful they had to sleep.

. * . * . * . * . * .

After Kuroko took care of Nigou, she went into school and to the locker room to grab what books she needed.

She looked at her phone and smiled at the recent text from Kagami. She never knew how much fun texting could be, she felt closer to Kagami already.

She heard a locker door slam shut and heard someone address her.

"Hey! There's something we want to talk to you about. Do you have a sec?"

Kuroko hesitantly turned around and saw a group of girls there, standing around to where she was pinned to the lockers.

"You know why, right? Kuroko-san..." The girl that had spoken looked at her with icy blue eyes, her light blonde hair twisted around her beautifully, but her expression was too scary.

Kuroko was too intimidated to say anything, it was like her throat was closed up.

"I'll get right to the point." The blonde girl stepped up closer to her and Kuroko could smell her sickly sweet perfume. "Do you think you could stay away from Kagami?"

Kuroko's breathing hitched and she stumbled back, hitting the cold lockers behind her.

Suddenly they were laughing at her.

"A haha haha, it's no good Anya!"

"Look, you scared the poor girl!"

 _I... I'm scared._ Kuroko curled up slightly as she had slipped down to the floor, trying to stop her knees from shaking.

"Listen, we're not trying to pick on you." This made Kuroko look up at the girl again. "We even want to be friends with you." She wore a smile that matched the perfume she was wearing.

 _No, no stay away..._ She stared at them as the main one smiled.

"Right, girls?" She bent down slightly. "Why, you ask? Well, Kagami only pays attention to you because you have no friends, right? Once you have some friends, he won't have any reason to bother with you!"

The girl stomped dangerously close to Kuroko's hand on the floor and the light bluenette looked up to see their scary expressions again.

"Don't tell me you actually think Kagami has any feelings for you besides pity, do you? 'Cause that's impossible." And then she laughed and Kuroko remembered what Kagami told her, that he had been watching her not because he felt sorry for her. She wanted to believe him, but...

Her heart squeezed painfully.

"Great! So, it's settled! We're friends!" Suddenly the girl swiped Kuroko's cell phone out of her hand. Before she could protest, the girl was already going through her phone. "Now that you have friends, you don't need Kagami's number anymore." Kuroko's heart pounded away as the blonde turned the phone so she could see the screen of where she was about to delete everything from Kagami and his number. "So you won't mind if I erase this, right?"

That made Kuroko reach out in horror. "St—No... Don't!"

"What are you doing?"

They all turned their heads to see Kise standing there, his golden eyes widened at the sight.

Instantly the girls turned cheery and wore fake expressions. "What do you mean...? We're just exchanging numbers! Right?"

"Y-Yeah! We just became friends!"

"Really..." Kise muttered as he stood straight and serious for a moment. "In that case..." The girls shifted nervously, but then Kise broke out into a charming smile. "Can we exchange numbers too?"

This shocked them and they immediately were distracted and went to him.

"Anyone who wants it, come here~!"

"He—Hey, guys!" The blonde girl from before shouted but the girls were too absorbed by the model to pay her attention. She glared at Kuroko and suddenly threw the phone back at her and it hit the light bluenette on her chest. "We'll be watching to make sure you stay away from him!"

Kuroko looked at her phone as the girl walked away. She was so relieved to see that everything was left untouched. She clutched the phone to her chest and felt her emotions catching up to her and she let out a cry or two as she tried to gather herself enough to make it through the day.

* * *

 _Scary..._

 _A group of girls who like the popular boy told me to stay away from him. I was so scared I couldn't say anything... What should I do..._

 _ **-Shadow**_

It was after school, and Kuroko was back in her room. She didn't get to see much of Kagami but he said that soon his Coach would make more time for him to study.

She was still shaking from the experience she had from this morning though.

 _Are you all right? Have you told the popular boy about this? Surely you exchanged numbers._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

 _Don't be so hard on yourself, Shadow-chan!_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

Kuroko felt better after reading that and she looked at her phone.

 _I'd like to be there for you in any way I can._

She touched the phone and then grabbed it. _Is it okay if I just call him..._

She turned the phone on and then scrolled until she saw Kagami's number. _I'll just let it ring three times, and if he doesn't answer, I'll hang up._

Kuroko held the phone up to her ear and counted the times it rung. Finally, right before the fourth one could be made—

"Hello?"

 _Kagami-kun answered!_

"Kuroko?"

She was left speechless, and Kagami just kept talking.

"Wow! I'm glad you called! I was wondering when you'd call me... Not that I'm trying to rush you or anything... Er, sorry, I'm a little nervous."

She smiled, he was Kagami alright. She could just picture him scratching at his head and looking flustered.

"Oh, I'm doing all the talking... Um, Kuroko?"

 _Kagami-kun's voice... It feels so nice in my ear. How is it that it soothes my heart... which was full of fear before?_

"Did something happen to you...?" He sounded strangely protective on that note and Kuroko rubbed at her eyes.

"No," Her voice was weak, but he still heard it. _I can't ask him to save me..._ "I'm just glad to hear your voice, Kagami-kun." _But for now... My body stopped shaking all of a sudden._

. * . * . * . * . * .

When the new school day rolled around, Kuroko saw Kagami in the hallway and he seemed to notice her quicker than usual.

They went to greet each other when three of the girls from before came up to Kuroko with fake friendly smiles.

"Kuroko-chan! So this is where you were!" They started tugging her away and Kuroko couldn't even speak or look at Kagami.

"Come on, let's go! Everyone's waiting for you!"

The blonde girl tightened her grip on Kuroko's arm. "Don't tell me... you forgot what I told you yesterday?" When Kuroko shook her head, the girls continued in pleasant chatter around her. "Good, good. That's fine, then!"

 _I can't get close to him... at school._

.

"Kuroko... you seemed a little down today, did something happen?" Kagami asked her over the phone as she sat talking to him and doing homework.

"No... not at all Kagami-kun." She tried to reassure him. She didn't want to bother him with this. _But he's so close on the phone._

 _Hey! I still believe that you can change if you want to, Shadow! I hope you don't give up!_

That had been something Tiger Light had told her... Where was he now? Where was Tiger-kun when she needed him? He had been gone for a while now...

"Well then, have a good night."

"Yeah, goodnight."

And then their call ended and Kuroko was left feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. She'd rather compromise like this than risk losing it all.

* * *

Kuroko had gotten up early the next day to hang out with Nigou before school started.

She sighed as her favorite little pup looked at her with large blue eyes that were reminiscent to her own. It was like he could sense her mood and acted extra cute just to get her out of it.

Nigou was a crafty pup.

She proceeded to go through the whole school day constantly cautious and on alert. She didn't see the girls as school let out and she breathed out easier when it meant she didn't have to put up with them. It was already starting to drain her.

When she got to the school gate, she was surprised to see Kagami leaning against it.

"Yo, Kuroko!" he waved, and she blinked, walking up to him.

"Kagami-kun...?"

"Heh, sorry for waiting for you without asking. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind hanging out this afternoon." He placed a hand against the back of his neck, but he was smiling so happily that it dazzled Kuroko a bit. Kagami was just too handsome for his own good.

"I... I don't..."

"Let's go!" Kagami grinned at her and Kuroko just couldn't say no, being swept along for the ride.

They ended up going out into the town, walking around and seeing sights that Kagami hadn't seen since moving here.

"You lived in America, right?" Kuroko asked him when they walked toward Maji Burger's place.

"Yeah, it's a lot different than here." Kagami answered when they went in to the cool establishment.

"Which do you like better?" she asked curiously, and Kagami just stared at her, deep in thought and it was a strange expression for him. Kuroko liked it more when Kagami put everything out in the open, he wore his 'heart on his sleeve' as some would put it.

"Here. There's someone here that I think is pretty special." He said while smiling at her and her heart did a weird thump-thump in her chest.

Face flushed, she walked with Kagami to the front counter and waited as Kagami ordered... ten cheeseburgers?

"Kuroko? What do you want?" he suddenly asked her and she blinked.

"M-Me?"

He smirked, wearing a fond look. "Yeah, you. I brought you out here with me so I'll pay for it. Order whatever you like."

Kuroko just ordered her usual, face flushed the whole while. _Kagami-kun is so generous!_

"Is that really all you're going to eat?" Kagami asked after they had the food and were sitting down.

Kuroko looked up at him, straw in mouth as she sipped the delicious vanilla shake. She only got a small fry to eat.

She nodded and answered, "This is what I always get from here. If I'm ever feeling adventurous then I'll order a cheeseburger... But I always order a vanilla shake."

"Why? Are they that good?"

"Yes. Maji's vanilla shakes are the best." Kuroko looked at the shake with a fond smile and that made Kagami laugh.

"I'm glad I could make you feel a little better at least." He told her before devouring his mountain of cheeseburgers.

 _Kagami-kun had been worried about me?_ Kuroko thought as she watched him and the boy handed her a cheeseburger.

"You should eat more."

Kuroko took the cheeseburger and smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem," Kagami smiled at her and started eating again.

"How is basketball going?" Kuroko asked after a minute.

"It's goin' good!" Kagami wore a grin. "As soon as I pass the exams, I'll be good to go for the Inter-High."

Kuroko smiled. "I'm glad, Kagami-kun."

He nodded, "It's all thanks to you! Seriously Kuroko, thank you."

The light bluenette blushed slightly and nodded. Now that she thought about it... Wouldn't this constitute as a date?

Before they left, Kuroko went by the bathroom. She really needed to get a handle over her blush.

As soon as she walked in though, there was that blonde girl and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Oh, look. Who knew I'd get such a great shot..." She had her phone out and on display was Kagami and Kuroko sitting together in the booth and Kagami was handing her a cheeseburger.

Kuroko's eyes widened as the girl continued with a glower. "What am I going to do with you, Kuroko-san?"

. * . * . * . * . * .

 **A/N:** Thank you for the support so far! =) I hope you can let me know what you think of this one and please go vote for this so KagaKuro may win~


	6. Diary 6 - In The Darkness

_She found me... hanging out with Kagami-kun._ Kuroko stared at the girl, frightened of what she might do.

"And after I warned you so many times... Do you realize what you've done?" The girl's eyes were so icy that Kuroko shivered from their harsh coldness. "Tomorrow... I'm going to make you regret this." She glared. "I'll make you pay!"

Kuroko wasn't sure how long she stayed in the bathroom after the girl left, but she finally remembered Kagami and had to go back out.

"Oh! You're back?" Kagami noticed her and turned to her but then grew shocked and worried by her expression. So scared and pale... "What's wrong?! You're totally pale!"

"I'm sorry... I don't feel so good... I should go home..." Kuroko spoke softly, not even able to look at Kagami's expression.

 _What are they going to do to me now?_

.

.

.

 **Diary 6 - In The Darkness**

"Hey! Did you see that email?"

"I did! She's horrible!"

"I can't believe it!"

Kuroko walked through the hallway, unaware of the newest gossip around her.

"Oh! ...yeah... That's her, right?"

Kuroko stopped and turned to see a nearby group of girls. They had been looking at her and... talking about her? As soon as she looked at them, they turned away and that's when Kuroko noticed it.

 _Is it just my imagination...?_

"Hey... is that the girl?"

"Yeah, it must be her!"

"Kuroko Tetsumi of Class 3..."

Kuroko turned all around her and saw that everyone's eyes were on her.

Her knees were shaking.

 _What...?_ Why was everyone's attention on her suddenly? Why has everyone noticed her?

Kuroko noticed Yuki nearby and met her eyes. "Ex-Excuse me... Um, why are you looking at me... like that?"

Yuki blanched, "W-Well, yesterday I got this email... It, it couldn't be true, right?" She held up her phone to show her it and it was a picture.

The same picture of her and Kagami at Maji's only with writing on it. _'LATEST NEWS! What do you think of this girl who forced Kagami into a pity date? (-_-X;) Class 2-3 Kuroko Tetsumi (Send this to 3 people—girls only!)'_

Kuroko's eyes widened. _This photo..._

"Of course it's true!"

Both Kuroko and Yuki turned to see the blonde girl from before with more girls behind her. Kuroko shivered at that look in their eyes.

"I mean, can you imagine Kagami going on a date with her for any other reason?" Her eyes were so cold...

"Oh, I-I see..." Yuki scratched her cheek, looking down and before Kuroko could say anything to her, the blonde girl continued.

"In fact, Kuroko-san..." Suddenly she opened Kuroko's classroom door beside them. "We think you should apologize to your classmates!"

"Oh..."

"Kuroko-san..."

The faces of her classmates blurred as she was suddenly grabbed by the girl.

"Here! We'll help you out!" She suddenly grabbed Kuroko by the top of her hair and Kuroko yelped at the pain. Everything was happening too fast. "Say, 'I pressured Kagami into dating me. I'll never go near him again!'" She continued to shake Kuroko by the hair. "Say, 'I'm sorry!'"

Kuroko opened her eyes when the shaking stopped and went cold at the sight. The faces of her classmates... Were all so angry, disappointed with her...

Just then, Kise's voice broke through as him and Kagami came walking up to the doorway.

"Good morning..."

Kagami noticed everyone's attention and spoke, "Huh? What are you guys doing?"

Suddenly Kuroko found her opening and pulled away from the girl to bolt out of the classroom.

She could hear Kagami shouting for her but she just kept running. All the while she kept hearing their voices.

"Oh, so _that's_ Tetsumi-san?"

"I feel bad for Kagami."

"Yeah! She's horrible!"

Kuroko kept running until she was out of the school building, but then she tripped on the last step and fell harshly to the hard ground.

She felt the pavement scratch her skin, but she paid no mind to it, feeling so awful on the inside. She pulled up to a sit and let the few tears escape.

 _I don't want to see anything... I don't want to hear anything..._ More tears escaped her as she trudged back home.

 _And all of a sudden, I was back in my world of darkness._

. * . * . * . * . * . * .

 _So you're skipping school?_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

Kuroko sat alone in her room, a blanket over her head as she looked at her phone. She was alone in the house since her parents were gone to work... They seemed to not even notice that she didn't get up to go to school.

She did venture to school to sneak to the back to check on Nigou, but that was it.

 _I don't think I'll... be able to go back anytime soon._ ** _-Shadow_**

 _What?! So you're going to behave like a juvenile delinquent? Just tell the popular boy what's going on so he can clear up this mess!_ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

 _Tiger-kun... where are you? I really need you right now..._ She stared at the screen until she heard a ringing and her phone displayed Kagami's number calling.

 _...so he can clear up this mess!_ Kuroko closed her eyes tightly as she held her hands over her ears in an effort to ignore the ringing.

"Just... Just leave me alone!" She found herself shouting out loud as it became too much. Her heart hurt too much. "I always... ask Kagami-kun for help... You guys try to help me... but I can't do anything!" She was crying now. "I'm useless, I'm weak, I'll never change... What am I—What am I suppose to do now...?"

 _I liked it better when I was invisible..._ ** _I wish I could just disappear...!_**

Disappear...

All alone again...

Kuroko sobbed and sniffed and she opened watery eyes to see new replies.

 _It's fine! I'm sorry for telling you to try harder when it was so painful that you couldn't even go to school... Don't blame yourself, Shadow-chan. ;_;_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _That's right... We may have piled too much on you, we should have stepped back to better understand your position._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

"Why...?" And then she was writing.

 _Why are you guys still being nice to me?! You don't even know my real name or what I look like! All I do is bother you guys... So why?!_ ** _-Shadow_**

Kuroko grew shocked at their instant replies.

 _Because... shouldn't that be obvious?_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _It's what friends are for._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

"Fri-Friends...?" Kuroko sniffed, tears brimming her large eyes.

 _Aw, c'mon Shadow-chan! You're making me cry here! Did you really not know?_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _We're on your blog everyday for a reason. It's simple._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

 _B-but I haven't done anything! I'm always like this... I don't write interesting things..._ ** _-Shadow_**

Kuroko was confused as she tilted her head. Really, she knew they were all close on the blog, but to be close friends? Even without having never met each other before in real life?

 _Well... how can I put this... On here I can be myself and have others be themselves to me. When people see me, they usually aren't themselves so I can get lonely without real friends around. Which is why I really like this blog, and you Shadow-chan! (And you too Rabbit )_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _Copycat-kun..._

 _I have to admit that I'm like you in some ways, Shadow. It's hard for me to be myself around others and to connect to other people. Being here has helped me, I feel like we've all grown together through the years._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

 _Rabbit-kun..._

 _When I ever felt sad or lonely, your blog always cheered me up and made me feel like I wasn't so alone anymore. It's really made me strong. People are weak on their own, but when they have friends to lean on, and friends who are important to them, they can be much stronger.  
That's why I want to return the favor. I want to help make your deepest wishes come true. _**_-Tiger Light_**

"Tiger-kun..." Kuroko gasped, feeling so over-joyed to see his post. He was here after all! "My... deepest wishes?" She looked out the window and then back down.

 _I don't want to go back to my previous life... where no one noticed me._ She remembered the cold emptiness of that life and she didn't wish that for anyone. _But I can't bear everybody's cold stares..._ "I just..." _I just want to go back... to that place._

She could see it as her eyes felt warm and watery. "Where I was just for a second... Inside the group..." Surrounded by the smiling faces of her classmates. "I just want to fit in... with my classmates."

 _Yeah!_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _All right then._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

 _Well then... let's do it!_ ** _-Tiger Light_**

She could see the light shining through the blinds on her window, but then she remembered the bullies from before. "B-But... I can't, alone..." Her hands shook where they gripped her skirt.

And suddenly the shaking stopped, like she could feel their hands on hers in that moment, giving her the light and warmth she needed to stop the fear oppressing her.

 _Idiot. You're not alone._ ** _-Lucky Rabbit_**

 _We're here with you!_ ** _-Cute Copycat_**

 _So lift up your head already!_ ** _-Tiger Light_**

Kuroko did and she steadily rose up, wanting to be outside where it was light and warm. The blanket fell around her feet and she started walking downstairs.

 _Don't look down, walk outside... and go where the sun shines. Let's go together._ ** _-Tiger Light_**

So she took those extra steps to open the door, and she was enveloped in the light of outside and the warmth the sun brought. The first thing she saw was Kagami standing there, about to walk up on her front porch and she stopped on the first step. "Kagami-kun..."

"I heard about the email today... I'm sorry!" He suddenly bowed his head, apologetic. "I didn't realize what was happening to you, I promise that I'll do something about it!"

Kuroko was touched at how much this all seemed to affect Kagami too. "Thank you..." And she made up her mind. "But I'm going to say something myself."

"Huh?" he blinked as he looked at her to see her smiling.

 _I'm fine..._ "I won't run away anymore." _I'm not alone._

. * . * . * . * . * . * .

She could hear it in the halls as she walked down them.

"Wow! So Kuroko-san didn't come today either..."

"Awesome! I bet she'll never go near Kagami again!" The blonde girl seemed delighted.

"Huh? But Kagami-kun's not here either! Neither is Kise-kun..."

"Geez! It's so annoying that we're not in his class!"

It was all of those girls before, they were standing around her classroom door. Kuroko kept walking until they saw her walk up to them.

"Oh... Anya..." One girl pointed Kuroko out to the blonde girl.

"Huh?"

When Kuroko had her attention, she steeled her confidence and spoke up boldly. "I have something I want to say to you!"

Surprise flickered over her face for a brief moment before she turned absolutely cold toward Kuroko. "Oh yeah? That's right! You were in the middle of apologizing to the class, weren't you? And you came just to finish? Good girl!" Suddenly the girl grabbed her harshly by the arm and started pulling her.

"W-Wait! That's not... That's not why...!" Kuroko tried to stop her but the girl was stronger.

"C'mon! You have to finish your speech!"

This made Kuroko nervous, "Wh-Where?"

"Why to the obvious place!" The girl snorted and Kuroko started shaking slightly. "For your brave apology speech you have to be in front of the entire class! Otherwise, people won't believe that you really mean it."

As they went in, Kise emerged from around the corner. "That girl... Will she really be okay?"

"Quiet, please!" The girl made a loud entry with Kuroko and the other girls in tow as they went to the front of the class. "Everyone in Class 2-3, listen up!" Anya waved her arm and the students turned to look at her. "Kuroko-san from your class has something _very important_ to tell you all!"

"Huh? What's she gonna say?"

"Maybe about the email?"

"Well then, Kuroko-san! Go ahead!" The blonde girl spoke cheerily and Kuroko shook under all of the attention.

"Um... Er..."

"What's the matter? I can't hear you! Isn't there something you wanted to tell us?" The classroom grew silent and Kuroko shut her eyes as she tried to calm herself. The blonde sighed and continued, "Why don't you just come out and say it? Just say it: 'Kagami-kun is a nice person, and I took advantage of him. I did a horrible thing. I'm sorry.'"

That didn't sit right with Kuroko and she clutched her shaky hands together, looking down so her bangs hid her eyes from view. "That's... not what..."

"Huh?"

"I didn't... I didn't come here to apologize." Kuroko said loud enough for them all to hear.

That set Anya off, "Quit fooling yourself!" Suddenly she slammed her hand down on the table in front of Kuroko and the light bluenette flinched.

Kuroko looked into the pretty girl's angry face and was taken aback.

"You little brat! Just how low will you stoop to take advantage of Kagami?! You know that he just feels sorry for you, right?! He may be a nice guy, but he'd rather not have anything to do with you!" She shouted into Kuroko's face and Kuroko could hear her heart beat painfully in her chest. "You used your poor-little-girl act to trick him so he can't say no to you! Get it into your head that he's only hanging out with you out of pity!"

The classroom went silent for a few painful seconds before the whispers started.

"She should just give up and apologize already..."

"You're right..."

Suddenly the whispers got louder until classmates were directing their words right at Kuroko.

"Why don't you just get it over with?"

"You did annoy Kagami-kun, after all..."

Everything started becoming dark.

"Yeah, why don't you admit it?"

"Yeah!"

"Just apologize!"

Kuroko felt all alone right then.

"Tetsumi-san, if you just say it you'll feel a lot better!"

Kuroko clutched her skirt tighter. "I-I'm sor—"

And suddenly, like before in her room, she felt it. The warm sensation that she wasn't really alone. There were people who liked her, who weren't afraid to hold her hand.

 _We're here for you._

"What was that? Kuroko-san?"

Kise stood outside the classroom and breathed a sigh as he prepared to go in to stop the bullies, but his eyes widened and he stopped at what Kuroko said.

"I'm... not going to apologize."

"Why you!" The blonde girl grabbed her by the hair and yanked her face up but was met with cool light blue eyes, steeled with resolve and an unafraid expression. "Your face... it's so..."

"Kagami-kun... He doesn't hang out with me out of pity." Kuroko's voice was better now, more level and only showing her resolve.

"Well then, why does he?" The girl asked harshly.

Kuroko remembered when Kagami found her in the storage building, when he noticed her where no one else did. "He found me... and brought me out of the darkness I was in."

"Uh, what?" Anya had an expression on her face like she wanted to laugh.

Kuroko only looked down slightly, but she directed her words towards her classmates. "Nobody... No one ever used to notice me. I was always invisible. It didn't matter if I was there or not... I wanted to change, but I didn't believe I ever could. That I could ever come out from that shadow. I thought I'd always be... alone and unnoticed." She didn't look at anyone as she spoke what was on her heart. "But Kagami-kun..."

Here Kuroko softly smiled, "Kagami-kun was the only one who ever noticed me." She could feel herself tearing up as she remembered the times spent with Kagami. "He taught me... about human warmth." _His smile was always so radiant._ "He made me... want to change myself, and want to grow!" She could feel her emotions unraveling as she opened her light blue eyes that were full of tears.

"Kagami-kun is someone so _**so**_ important to me!"

Once again the classroom grew silent as everyone took that in. There were amazed expressions all around and soon new whispering started.

"She was... she was always alone, wasn't she?"

"Even though we've been in the same class for so long now..."

"W-Wait!" The blonde girl heard the whispering and looked around.

"I can't believe we made her feel like that..."

Kuroko was startled when her classmates addressed her.

"Sorry, Kuroko!"

"Sorry for not realizing..."

Suddenly there was a loud slam as Anya once again put her hand down. "Wait... Wait a second you guys! What are we going to do about this email?" She held up her phone to show them the picture. "It's true that she made Kagami go out with her! Why are you believing everything she says?!"

Suddenly Yuki was there, standing close to Kuroko as she looked at the blonde girl. "Why are so obsessed with that? That email doesn't even make any sense!"

"She's right! Kokoro-san, I mean Kuroko-san... she could never do that!"

And soon Kuroko's classmates were there for her.

"Maybe it was all made up by someone who's in love with Kagami-kun?" One of the girls mused to the others.

One of the girls that followed Anya turned to her. "Just forget it, Anya!"

"What are you..." Anya trailed off as she saw Kuroko had the full backing of her classmates as they came up.

"Cut it out, Anya!"

"Don't bully one of our classmates!"

Kuroko was in a stunned stupor, and almost didn't hear the blonde girl seethe out, "How could you... I'll, I'll never accept this!" And then Kuroko felt the harsh impact as she was pushed back suddenly.

Before she could react, she felt someone catch her and looked up to see Kagami standing there. He wore a serious, solemn look as he gazed at Anya.

"Kagami...kun?" Kuroko was surprised to see him.

"I... uh..." Anya was at a loss for words as she stared at the hard gaze Kagami had on her. "It's not what you think!" She suddenly exploded. "I was just... er, that's right! She was talking about how she wants to use you to change herself! Even though it's her own fault that nobody notices her... she expects you to help her change! Why don't you do that by yourself, without bothering Kagami!"

Kuroko stilled and looked down again, starting to feel bad but then she felt Kagami squeeze her shoulder slightly with the hand that stayed there.

"She doesn't bother me. I think if someone who considers me important needs my help, then I want to be there for them. We all need friends to rely on, to talk to. Imagine if nobody ever noticed you..." Kagami told them and Kise came up behind them to place a hand on Kuroko's other shoulder.

"And then all of a sudden someone discovered you, wouldn't you do the same... and want to get close to that person?" Kise shared a knowing look with Kagami, and the dark redhead smiled.

"No one has the right to stop someone from trying to improve themself." Kagami said and Anya spoke up but couldn't get anything out.

"A-Anya... I'm sorry, I give up."

"What! What do you mean?" The blonde girl asked the girls that had followed her. They didn't give a reason, they just all apologized and started leaving and Anya was left alone. "What the hell... How did this... Why—How did this happen?"

Kuroko noticed she was about to cry but couldn't say anything because those icy blue eyes turned on her.

"It's all your fault!" She raised a hand up swiftly. "If only you weren't here!"

Kuroko cringed as that hand came down and there was a loud smacking sound that echoed in the room. Kuroko opened her eyes after feeling no pain to see Kagami in front of her, he had taken the blow.

"Look, I really like Kuroko. So don't hurt her." Kagami put it bluntly but the blonde girl had already looked shaken by the slap she had given him.

She unsteadily left the room and their classmates started to fuss over Kagami.

"I'm—I'm sorry. Are you all right?" Kuroko asked, face slightly flushed from Kagami's bold declaration.

Kagami grinned and accepted the handkerchief Kuroko handed him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Wow, look at Kagamicchi! Why were you so late getting here anyway?!" Kise hounded him and Kuroko was suddenly addressed by Yuki and some other girls.

"That was really cool of you, Tetsumi-chan! Is it okay to call you that?"

"Ah, um, yes. That's fine." She nodded, feeling a bit awkward.

Yuki laughed, "Then please call me... Tiny-chan!" She winked, "It's what everyone calls me anyway."

"But wow... Most people wouldn't be able to keep their cool in that situation!"

"I'm sorry for calling you the wrong name!"

"That's right, Kuroko-san! You were really amazing!"

Suddenly everyone was around her and Kuroko was overloaded by the attention.

"I was totally moved!"

"I'm sorry for doubting you!"

Kise walked closer to her. "I was sure you were going to run home and cry or something... But that was pretty awesome, Kurokocchi." He grinned, and some gasped at Kuroko receiving the 'honorary nickname.'

She caught Kagami's smile and bowed to the class. "Thank... Thank you!" _I made it... back into the sun!_ "Everyone, thank you." She smiled at them, feeling the warmth of Kagami's and her classmates' light around her.

. * . * . * . * . * . * .

 **A/N:** The voting is open till the 29th of May! If you don't have a Wattpad or Facebook, you can still vote by visiting the first two links on my profile. It'll take you to a poll where you can vote for 'I Am Here!' =) Please please vote! I want to aim for at least 25 or 30 on Multi-Chapter Entry by the end of this month~!


	7. FINAL Diary 7 - I'm Right Here

**A/N:** If you're enjoying this then please do me a huge favor and go vote for it! Contest is held till May 29th 2015. (Follow the first two links in my profile to the voting poll)

* * *

"Kagami-kun!" Kuroko shouted to the dark redhead she saw in the distance.

Kagami turned around from where he stood at the old storage building. The light bluenette stopped to catch her breath, she was surprised to see Kagami here without her, and even more surprised to see he had laid out food and water for Nigou.

"I'm surprised, Kagami-kun is making so much progress with Nigou lately."

"Ah, yeah well..." Kagami muttered as he scratched the back of his head while looking at the pup that was eating.

Kuroko decided to sit next to him and she wanted to ask the burning question. "Kagami-kun, I notice you tend to scratch the back of your head when nervous, so why do you do that around me a lot of the time?"

Kagami smiled at her, "You make me nervous sometimes. A good nervous though; like I don't want to mess up in front of you. I want to impress you."

Kuroko blinked owlishly, "Impress me? But why though? I think Kagami-kun is already amazing."

"Because I care too much. I... care a lot about you, more than you know." His eyes seemed to burn into hers they were so intense. It made her blush.

"But why though?" Kuroko asked softly.

Kagami continued to gaze at her, as if he were trying to communicate with his eyes alone (and he was doing a good job of it). He finally opened his mouth to confess when they both head Kise yelling in the distance.

"Kagamicchi! Kurokocchi! C'mon you two lovebirds, have lunch with me~!" He seemed to whine the last part.

Kuroko and Kagami looked back at each other with a slight blush before getting up. _Later,_ wasn't mentioned between them, but they knew it would happen.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Diary 7 [FINAL] - I'm Right Here**

Kuroko and Kagami spent after school studying since exams would be coming up the following week.

"Oh man, I know I got this!" Kagami shouted determinedly to himself and Kuroko nodded with a small smile.

"I agree, you've come a long way Kagami-kun."

They were spending their studying outside, so they could be with Nigou and the pup slept peacefully pressed against Kuroko's side. The light bluenette was still feeling jovial after today's events.

"It's been a long day." Kagami stretched his arms above his head.

"It has, but it's a day I wish could go on and on forever." She looked up at the blue sky.

Kagami smiled at her and they studied over the subjects they both had the most difficulty with.

"You know, you're a great teacher." Kagami mentioned after some time, making Kuroko stop.

"Really? You know, when I was younger and the teacher asked us to pick a career dream I always chose teacher."

Kagami looked surprised but then grinned. "Hey, it fits. If you really want to be a teacher, then I think you would be really great at it."

Kuroko smiled at him, "Thank you. And what about you, Kagami-kun? What do you wish to do in life?"

Kagami looked up at the sky. "I want to play basketball for as long as I can, but then... I'd really like to be a firefighter."

Kuroko blinked, her turn to be surprised. "A firefighter?"

"Yeah," Kagami had a fond look in his eyes. "My old man was one when I was a kid before he was given granddad's company to run. I always thought he was happier living his dream... He inspired me from back then to be one."

Kuroko could feel her heart beat in her chest. "Kagami-kun." When she spoke his name, he looked back at her with a gentle expression - which only made her heart rate worse. "I wonder... Do you think I became the kind of person who can be close to you?"

A sudden gust of wind billowed against Kuroko slightly and she shut her eyes as she leaned with it until she felt warm hands grab her softly by the shoulders.

"Yeah, look how close..." And Kuroko opened her eyes to see their faces were very, _very_ close. "...we are right now." He finished with a soft look and Kuroko immediately blushed and pulled back, causing Kagami to chuckle.

 _All... All of a sudden I feel so hot..._ Kuroko put a hand to her chest in an effort to calm her racing heart. "Yes, but... I-I had some extra help."

"Huh?" Kagami looked confused and Kuroko smiled as she confessed something she's never told anyone.

"I... I've never told anyone about this, but... I have a blog, and though there's quite a few members, there's three regular ones that comment on it." She smiled to herself. "Their names are Lucky Rabbit, Cute Copycat, and Tiger Light... I was able to be strong because they supported me."

When Kagami didn't say anything, she looked over at him to see he was in deep thought.

"Kagami-kun?"

Her voice seemed to make him come back to reality and he looked back at her. "O-Oh yeah... Say, do you want to go somewhere after exams?"

Kuroko was confused, but went along with it. "Like-Like a... date?"

Kagami smiled at this, it reaching his eyes. "Yeah, I would really like that."

Kuroko flushed slightly, but smiled. Anywhere with Kagami would be good to her.

. * . * . * . * . * . * . * .

Kuroko was in her room reading when she heard a loud noise downstairs and she jumped where she sat.

"What do you mean it's my fault the bill didn't get paid?!" That was her mother, sounding so angry that Kuroko froze, unwilling to move, only listen.

"It's exactly as I said Terumi, you were busy with those assignments and forgot to go by and pay the bill. Now they're charging us extra for a late fee!"

Even her normally reserved father sounded scary and she curled up. She couldn't stop listening even though she wanted it to stop.

"Well you should have taken care of it!" Her mother said right back.

"It's your responsibility too!"

She heard another loud noise and felt her heart hammer in her chest. It sounded so violent, why was this happening?

This was the first time they fought so much and she clutched her hands over her ears, trying to block out the sound but couldn't.

They kept arguing and yelling, and Kuroko could feel her heart hurt. Why couldn't they get along? Why couldn't they be happy?

There was a sudden buzzing and she opened her eyes to see her phone. Her breathing hitched as she reached for it, wanting comfort.

She ended up dialing Kagami's number, just needing to hear his voice...

"Hey, Kuroko." His voice was pleasant to her ears when he answered.

"H-Hey..." Kuroko answered just as the voices downstairs raised and she cringed.

"Kuroko?" Kagami sounded concerned. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I-" Kuroko cut off as her breathing hitched again and her eyes watered when she heard her name mentioned. "My parents are fighting. I... I don't know what to do!"

Kuroko shook as the argument grew more violent downstairs. "Kagami-kun!"

"I'm on my way over."

"Huh?" Kuroko blinked.

"Are you in your room?" Was his next question and Kuroko answered before she thought about it.

"Yes..."

"Okay. It's going to be okay, Kuroko. I promise. You believe in me, right?"

A tear escaped as Kuroko smiled and nodded, closing her eyes as she leaned more into the phone she held. "Yes." _Without a doubt._

Kuroko stayed on the phone, listening to Kagami's voice as he talked until he suddenly asked a question.

"Hey, which window are you?"

Kuroko blinked rapidly. "The only top one on the left side of the house next to the tree." She answered in confusion.

"Okay, I should be able to make that."

Now Kuroko was even more confused. "Kagami-kun what-"

Suddenly she heard something outside her window and went to it, opening the blinds and pushing the curtain aside. Outside her window was Kagami, and he was scaling the tree to reach her window.

Kuroko opened her window and screen to look at him incredulously. "What are you doing? You're going to get hurt!"

"Better watch out!"

Kuroko ducked out of the way as Kagami suddenly leaped from the tree branch and toppled into her room. The light bluenette instantly went to him as the fall looked like it hurt.

"I'm fine," Kagami told her with a smile, rubbing his head.

"That looked like it hurt, Kagami-kun. Are you sure?" Kuroko went all around him, inspecting him as he stood.

"Yeah. I'm pretty good at climbing and jumping!" He gave her a smirk and she blinked before looking back at her open window and then at Kagami's rumpled features.

She couldn't help it, it made her laugh. Kagami's lips twitched before he joined her.

"I can't b-believe you! Kagami-kun is a real idiot." She laughed and Kagami looked at her.

"Hey! You at least have to give me points for scaling the tree!" He mock-pouted, but their merriment soon stopped as the voices only grew louder downstairs and Kuroko shuddered.

Kagami listened in and his eyebrows pulled together. "Does this happen a lot?"

Kuroko shook her head. "No, not usually..." She yelped suddenly when there was another harsh thud. She pushed her arms to her chest in an effort to hold herself together. She didn't want to be weak in front of Kagami...

"I don't know why I even married you!"

"Just leave then!"

No... She wanted her family to stay together, she wanted them to stay with her! Before she realized it, the tears started streaming down her face and her hunched shoulders shook.

"I-I'm sorry Kagami-kun, I-"

Suddenly her face was pressed into a solid chest and arms wrapped around her firmly.

"Don't say a thing, I'm here now. I'm right here for you, always." Kagami's gentle tone of voice was right at her ear and a few more tears escaped as she stayed encased in that warmth.

She cried more into his chest, feeling her emotions run wild, and it felt perfectly okay with Kagami here with her. When was the last time she was held like this? By her father years ago when everything was all right in her home...?

Kagami's arms were so strong around her, and his body was so much bigger than hers that she felt completely hid and protected - it was such a nice feeling that she never wanted to leave...

She wanted to stay in Kagami's arms forever.

That was the first time she ever had a friend - a boy that she happened to like very much - in her room.

. * . * . * . * . * . * . * .

"Ugh..."

"C'mon, Kagami-kun. You need to at least eat, you need a full stomach for the next test." Kuroko poked him lightly as they sat together in their classroom eating lunch.

"I don't think I did good at all." Kagami groaned again, his head hanging.

Kuroko tried to smile reassuringly. "You know that isn't true. We both did our best, remember?"

He looked up at her, still wearing a sullen look. "I guess so..." He turned completely around in his desk so he could lay his arms and head down on her desk to look up at her. "But those prompts were really stupid."

"Yes, they were. They didn't match at all..." Kuroko agreed as she looked at him, his hair was spiky but she also wanted to touch it... She reached a hand out and gently placed it in his hair, marveling at the softness as she rubbed more.

"That feels nice..." Kagami sighed, his eyes closing and Kuroko blushed.

"Kagami-kun's hair is soft..."

"Oh gosh!"

They both turned their heads at the loud exclamation to see Kise standing close to them.

"I did not know you two were having a, uh... couple-y moment. So sorry, please continue!" Kise remarked as he flitted away and the two blinked and looked back at each other.

Kagami rolled his eyes. "That's Kise for you."

"I hope he's not upset..."

"Nah, he'll get over it." Kagami stretched his arms out. "Oh man, I'll be looking forward to this Saturday! There's a special place I want to take you." He smiled at her.

"I look forward to it." Kuroko felt her chest warm as she smiled back at him. "But seriously Kagami-kun, you need to eat."

* * *

Exams passed and the weekend rolled in as students relaxed - well until test scores would be announced.

Kuroko and Kagami took Nigou with them on a leash as they went out on the town.

"I want to take you by there first and then we can go anywhere you want." Kagami told her, strangely excited as Kuroko followed him. Nigou kept up, trotting happily with his tongue hanging out and smelling all of the new smells. Kuroko couldn't resist taking a picture or two.

"Where are you taking us, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko laughed a bit as her and Nigou followed him deep into the park.

"Just a little more to go, it's here I promise!" Kagami assured as they came out to a clearing.

Kuroko gasped at the familiar sight. They kept walking until they were standing at a secret place that overlooked some of Tokyo. The evening skies shone different colors and hues and made everything that much more breathtaking.

It was familiar for Kuroko because she had found it years back and blogged about it, posting a picture and everything. But how could Kagami know about this...?

When she had posted it, Tiger-kun had been so impressed by it that it became his favorite place... and then became her favorite place. She still remembered what he told her that time too...

"You know..." Kagami spoke up, looking at the sky. "When people are alone, they let their sadness overwhelm them. But instead... when there's someone to lean on..." He turned to smile at her. "Then they can be much stronger."

Kuroko gasped as her eyes widened. Those words...

 _Shadow..._

 _People are weak on their own, but when they have friends to lean on, and friends who are important to them, they can be much stronger._ ** _-Tiger Light_**

 _Tiger-kun...?_ It couldn't be... But just now, Kagami seemed like her Tiger-kun to her.

Kagami took a step closer to her, still smiling warmly. "I don't know if you realize it yet, but... I've known you for years now. Back when I lived in America and had no friends or parents to turn to, you were there."

Kuroko's heart picked up as her eyes prickled. Could this be happening right now?

Kagami wore a look of fondness as he continued, "At first I didn't want to comment on your blog, I just looked at the pictures you posted. But I remember... It was the picture you took of this spot, that made me post my first comment." His red eyes seemed slightly watery too. "When my parents were fussing and I had to completely change countries... You still remained, I could still go on your blog and talk with you. You... you became my Shadow. And I've waited so long to finally meet you."

Kuroko's lip trembled. "Tiger-kun!" And then she couldn't hold back anymore, she dove into his chest where he encased her in his strong arms. "It was you all along! You were my Light..."

Kagami just grinned and held her close. "I've always been here for you, just like you have for me."

Kuroko pulled back slightly to look up at him. "My Tiger-kun..." She touched his face with her hand, and he kept smiling.

"How about... 'Taiga-kun?'...Tetsumi?" he spoke and she flushed slightly at the first name usage.

"O-Okay... Taiga-kun." There, it wasn't so bad...

He lightly kissed her fingers. "Tetsumi."

Her face turned as red as his hair and he laughed.

"What? Does that embarrass you?" He leaned in so close that he nuzzled her blushing face.

"St-Stupid Bakagami..." She called him what she heard his teammates call him.

"Hey!" he shouted in outrage that was quietened when Kuroko quickly leaned to press their lips together and then pulled away just as fast, embarrassed.

Kagami blinked as he looked at her, completely shocked.

"H-How's that for being... Taiga-kun's girlfriend?"

Kagami grinned once more and brought her even closer. "So we're going out officially now? I can be Tetsumi's boyfriend?"

Kuroko didn't think she could blush any harder than she was, but she nodded. "Yes... so long as I can be y-yours."

Kagami's whole expression softened and he gently brought up a hand to frame the side of Kuroko's face. "Good. Then I'm yours too, my shadow."

And then he leaned their heads so they could properly share their first of many kisses together.

Everything became so warm and wonderfully bright to Kuroko, she found her Tiger Light.

. * . * . * . END . * . * . * . * .

 **Whoo~ And that marks the end to this short-story buuuuut... There will be a sequel. There were some scenes I didn't get to fit in here that I really wanted to. Also, I may do a Kagami's perspective of what went on during this. (If you guys are interested)**

 **The sequel name will probably be "you were there" - to keep up with the theme ^^**

 **PLEASE take the time to go to my profile and click the first two links to go vote for this story on the polls for MultiChapter Entry and Creative Cover. You don't have to sign up for anything, just click the story name 'I Am Here!' and click vote, then you're done and I thank you. =) It closes  May 29th 2015. Thank you so much for reading this, I look forward to making more KagaKuro in the future~  
**

 ** _FOR THE KAGAKURO~~~  
_**


	8. Winner!

This is a chapter posted to let everyone know that 'i am here!' won in the Multi-Chapter category of the contest it was entered in. I want to thank everyone for their comments and support both during the contest and after it.

Be looking out for the sequel book 'You were there' coming out June 2015!


End file.
